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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. root — the cause
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. track — a path
  5. shower — rain
  6. track — a song
  7. suit — in cards
  8. sharp — clever
  9. root — of a plant
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. can — a tin
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. can — to be able to
  17. root — of a word
  18. suit — to fit
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. can — a tin
  24. track — to keep track

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