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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. charge — electricity
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. root — of a word
  6. pop — music
  7. charge — in control
  8. root — of a plant
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. pop — soda
  17. root — the cause
  18. charge — a price
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. drill — army training
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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