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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.

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: hand · season · rock · wax · pop · root · mine · spell

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — letters
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pop — music
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pop — soda
  12. hand — help
  13. spell — magic
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. root — of a word
  19. season — in sport
  20. pop — to visit
  21. season — of the year
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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