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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. root — the cause
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — to shout
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. vault — a safe
  10. root — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. land — ground
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. current — electric
  20. root — of a word
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. lean — thin
  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