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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 · pop · cue · perch · wave · wax · cap · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cue — a signal
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. perch — the fish
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. pop — music
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pop — to visit
  15. wax — to grow
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pop — soda
  21. root — of a plant
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cue — for pool
  24. perch — for a bird

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