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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. drill — the tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. wax — to grow
  5. root — the cause
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — of a plant
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. drill — a practice
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. ruler — for measuring

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