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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wax — to grow
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — in football
  7. cap — a lid
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. capital — money
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. root — the cause
  12. capital — a city
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a word
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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