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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.

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: squash · wax · object · staff · trunk · root · mouse · court

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. squash — the sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. court — of law
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. staff — a stick
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. court — for sport
  10. root — the cause
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. staff — employees
  14. squash — to crush
  15. staff — employees
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. object — an aim
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — of a word
  20. court — of a king
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. object — to protest

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