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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. wind — moving air
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. row — a line
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. squash — to crush
  12. wax — to grow
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. squash — the sport
  17. row — to paddle
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. root — the cause
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — of a word
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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