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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. root — the cause
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. branch — a division
  5. bulb — for light
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ground — a position
  11. root — of a word
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. root — of a plant
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ground — the earth
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. mine — for digging

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