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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bat — the animal
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. craft — boats
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. craft — a skill
  13. root — of a word
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wax — to grow
  24. root — of a plant

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