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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: rock · root · wax · pitcher · mug · snap · stick · present

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. rock — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. snap — to click
  6. root — of a plant
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. mug — a face
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wax — to grow
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. present — a gift
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mug — to rob
  15. present — there
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — the time now
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — a cup
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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