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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: fine · wax · content · lash · bear · root · land · ground

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. land — ground
  4. wax — to grow
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. land — to come down
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. root — of a word
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. content — the amount

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