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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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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: board · snap · wax · root · roll · bulb · kid · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. roll — a list
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bulb — for light
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. season — in sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. root — of a word
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to click
  17. board — to get on
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. root — the cause
  21. roll — a cake
  22. kid — to tease
  23. root — of a plant
  24. kid — child

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