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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 116 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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a plant
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. band — a ring
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. chip — to eat
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. band — a music group
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to drill
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. root — the cause
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chip — for betting
  22. march — music
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. wax — to grow

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