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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: root · wax · ruler · trunk · bore · wave · lie · cold

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bore — to tire
  5. root — of a word
  6. lie — to recline
  7. root — the cause
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wax — to grow
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. cold — an illness

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