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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: race · board · root · chair · drill · hand · wax · pop

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. drill — the tool
  4. hand — help
  5. root — the cause
  6. chair — a leader
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pop — soda
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. root — of a word
  15. pop — music
  16. board — to get on
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. hand — in cards
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — a committee
  24. wax — to grow

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