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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. root — the cause
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. file — a document
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — to grow
  12. root — of a word
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. chip — for betting
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pass — a permit
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. file — a tool
  24. bear — the animal

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