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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 120 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: wax · fine · game · can · spell · sharp · root · bark

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — a match
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — to grow
  8. spell — magic
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — of a plant
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bark — to shout
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — the cause
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. fine — all right
  21. spell — a short time
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. game — wild animals

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