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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: rush · fan · mug · kid · root · ruler · wax · land

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. root — of a plant
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. land — to come down
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wax — to grow
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. land — ground
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rush — hurry
  23. kid — child
  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