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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bear — the animal
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. wax — to grow
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. root — the cause
  10. fine — high quality
  11. lean — thin
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. date — the fruit
  15. fine — all right
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. root — of a word

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