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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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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: date · root · wax · bowl · wave · coach · cold · lash

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. root — the cause
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cold — an illness
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. date — the fruit
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. root — of a plant
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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