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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. root — the cause
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — a weight
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bear — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fan — a supporter

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