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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. sharp — clever
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. land — ground
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. band — a music group
  12. file — a tool
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. root — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. band — a ring
  20. root — of a word
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. file — a document
  24. wax — for sculpting

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