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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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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: trunk · wave · chair · wake · root · tear · deal · wax

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chair — a leader
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. root — of a word
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tear — to rip
  19. root — the cause
  20. wake — a trail
  21. root — of a plant
  22. tear — from crying
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — an agreement

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