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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. spring — of water
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — a trail
  6. spring — a coil
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. root — of a word
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cue — for pool
  13. root — the cause
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. chest — a box
  16. spring — the season
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fine — all right
  19. root — of a plant
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. wax — to grow
  24. cue — a signal

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