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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: wax · mouse · racket · wake · root · kid · jam · shower

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. shower — rain
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. root — of a word
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. shower — to wash
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. wake — a trail
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. root — the cause
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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