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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: bore · wax · kick · deal · row · root · wound · fine

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — to paddle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — all right
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. row — a line
  16. root — of a word
  17. deal — to handle
  18. wax — to grow
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. kick — in football
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wound — an injury

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