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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. root — the cause
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bear — the animal
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. cell — in biology
  7. object — to protest
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. object — an aim
  16. bear — the animal
  17. chip — for betting
  18. root — of a plant
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hand — in cards
  21. cell — a phone
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. root — of a word
  24. object — a thing

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