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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 · bulb · mark · clip · snap · foot · root · squash

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mark — a grade
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — a trace
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — of a plant
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. squash — the sport
  16. clip — a video
  17. snap — to click
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — to crush
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — of a word
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. root — the cause
  24. squash — the vegetable

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