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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. swing — music
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bass — the fish
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wax — to grow
  7. swing — in golf
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bass — low music
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. shower — rain
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. swing — to play on
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — the cause
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. sharp — exactly

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