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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: fall · snap · root · wound · racket · rush · wax · coach

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. wound — an injury
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. root — the cause
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — the season
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. root — of a word
  24. snap — to click

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