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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: bay · court · safe · fan · lash · chair · wax · root

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. court — of a king
  4. chair — a leader
  5. court — for sport
  6. root — of a plant
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. root — of a word
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. court — of law
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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