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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 · land · dip · bear · root · mouse · deal · kick

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a plant
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — in football
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. land — to come down
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bear — the animal
  17. deal — to handle
  18. land — ground
  19. root — the cause
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. root — of a word
  22. land — a country
  23. dip — to sink
  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