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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · mine · wave · cabinet · wax · bound · root · bowl

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bound — certain
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — of a word
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bound — obliged
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com