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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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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stock — shares
  3. wax — to grow
  4. root — of a plant
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. saw — the tool
  12. charge — electricity
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. stock — goods
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. charge — a price
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bat — the animal
  22. root — of a word
  23. charge — in control
  24. stock — a soup base

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