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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. pound — a weight
  3. clip — to cut
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to click
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cap — of ice
  10. root — the cause
  11. present — there
  12. cap — a hat
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rush — hurry
  16. root — of a word
  17. clip — a video
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rush — a thrill

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