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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: wax · root · court · drill · dip · perch · rest · swing

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. swing — in golf
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. root — of a plant
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. drill — the tool
  9. perch — the fish
  10. root — of a word
  11. court — of a king
  12. rest — a break
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. court — for sport
  15. root — the cause
  16. rest — what's left
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. drill — army training
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — music
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. drill — a practice
  23. dip — to sink
  24. rest — what's left

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