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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ground — the earth
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cold — not warm
  7. plane — a tool
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pop — soda
  10. cold — an illness
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — of a word
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. pop — to visit
  21. pop — music
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. root — the cause
  24. ruler — for measuring

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