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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. clip — for paper
  8. current — electric
  9. chip — for betting
  10. current — happening now
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. chip — to eat
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — a division
  21. current — of water
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. wax — in the ear

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