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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.

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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: kick · root · cell · rash · wax · fork · present · season

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. present — there
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. root — of a word
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fork — in a road
  10. present — the time now
  11. root — the cause
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. season — of the year
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rash — hasty
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — of a plant
  24. season — in sport

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