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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 116 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 · tube · dip · wax · patient · ground · key · sharp

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. tube — a container
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — the underground
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ground — crushed
  11. key — in music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. root — of a plant
  14. ground — the earth
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — of a word
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. root — the cause
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. tube — in a tire

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