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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: root · board · degree · plane · wind · temple · wax · rest

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. wax — to grow
  2. root — the cause
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. rest — a break
  7. board — to get on
  8. wind — moving air
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rest — what's left
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. degree — from a university
  18. board — a committee
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. root — of a word
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — moving air
  23. degree — an amount
  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