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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: deal · toast · snap · root · wax · racket · spring · safe

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. deal — to handle
  3. root — the cause
  4. wax — to grow
  5. root — of a plant
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. spring — the season
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. spring — of water
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. spring — a coil
  16. toast — bread
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. snap — to click
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. root — of a word

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