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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: season · key · land · lash · root · wax · wake · wave

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. root — of a word
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — to come down
  12. key — the most important part
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. root — of a plant
  15. season — of the year
  16. land — ground
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. root — the cause
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. land — a country
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. key — in music
  24. season — in sport

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