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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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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: content · root · chest · sharp · file · snap · wax · wave

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. content — the amount
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. file — a line of people
  5. content — happy
  6. file — a tool
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wax — to grow
  10. snap — to click
  11. root — the cause
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. root — of a word
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. sharp — clever
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. root — of a plant
  19. file — a document
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. chest — of your body
  24. sharp — exactly

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