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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  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. wax — in the ear
  2. root — of a word
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. root — the cause
  8. chip — to eat
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hand — help
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. root — of a plant
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wax — for sculpting

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