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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. hand — help
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cap — a hat
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. rock — a stone
  9. root — of a word
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rock — music
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — to come from
  21. root — the cause
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. wax — to grow
  24. foot — part of the body

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