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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. prune — to trim
  3. land — a country
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. bore — to drill
  7. toast — bread
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. rash — hasty
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. land — to come down
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rash — a series
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. land — ground
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. root — of a plant

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