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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · fine · can · game · bat · rash · root · wind

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. can — to be able to
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. rash — hasty
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. game — wild animals
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fine — all right
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. game — a match
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. fine — high quality
  18. root — of a word
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. can — a tin

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