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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: stock · root · game · wax · wave · net · lean · temple

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stock — shares
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. root — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — after costs
  9. game — wild animals
  10. root — the cause
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. net — for catching
  16. lean — thin
  17. wax — to grow
  18. game — a match
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lean — to rest against

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