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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 120 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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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: root · wax · mine · cue · bat · wave · kick · suit

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. kick — in football
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bat — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. suit — in cards
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. suit — clothes

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