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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. mate — a friend
  6. root — the cause
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. game — a match
  11. snap — to click
  12. bore — to drill
  13. game — wild animals
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. mate — a partner
  18. mate — to breed
  19. stock — shares
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. root — of a word

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