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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.

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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — a stone
  3. last — finally
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rash — a series
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — to go on
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rash — hasty
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — final
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. root — the cause
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. trunk — of a tree

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