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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — to grow
  5. root — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — all right
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. kick — in football
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. can — a tin
  13. clip — to cut
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. can — to be able to
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. clip — for paper
  20. clip — a video
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. racket — for tennis

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