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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.

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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: root · stock · wave · mug · wax · leaves · sharp · rush

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. rush — hurry
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mug — to rob
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. stock — goods
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mug — a face
  12. root — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mug — a cup
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stock — shares
  24. stock — a soup base

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