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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. root — the cause
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. root — of a word
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. degree — from a university
  15. tear — to rip
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. degree — an amount
  20. tear — from crying
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. tear — from crying

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