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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: spring · wax · lean · sharp · hide · chip · rush · root

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. wax — to grow
  3. spring — a coil
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. chip — for betting
  7. root — of a plant
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rush — hurry
  10. lean — thin
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. root — of a word
  14. sharp — clever
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. root — the cause
  23. spring — of water
  24. lean — to bend

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