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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: leaves · root · cap · dip · season · wax · mate · rule

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mate — a friend
  4. root — of a plant
  5. rule — a law
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rule — government
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. mate — a partner
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. dip — to sink
  12. season — in sport
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. root — of a word
  16. cap — a lid
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — to breed
  19. root — the cause
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. cap — a hat
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — a sauce

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