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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. game — wild animals
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. game — a match
  6. root — of a word
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. root — of a plant
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. present — the time now
  11. board — to get on
  12. present — a gift
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. present — there
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. board — a committee
  17. pit — in a race
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. root — the cause
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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