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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.

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: pit · bat · last · root · rush · wave · wax · mouse

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. pit — in a race
  6. last — to go on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. root — of a word
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — the animal
  18. last — finally
  19. root — of a plant
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. last — final
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. mouse — the animal

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