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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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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: bore · root · wax · cue · race · present · calf · dip

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — the arms race
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. dip — to sink
  8. present — the time now
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. wax — to grow
  16. root — the cause
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. race — a contest
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. root — of a plant

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