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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. race — humankind
  3. wax — to grow
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. race — the arms race
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. root — of a plant
  16. perch — the fish
  17. race — a contest
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. root — the cause
  22. bear — the animal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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