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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: rush · wax · jam · object · bay · root · shower · safe

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. object — to protest
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. shower — rain
  8. rush — hurry
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — to wash
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. root — of a plant
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. safe — a strongbox

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