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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: root · wax · mark · present · fork · chest · mouse · shower

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. shower — rain
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chest — of your body
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — of a word
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. root — the cause
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. present — there
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. shower — to wash

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