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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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. root — of a plant
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a lid
  9. root — the cause
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. cap — a hat
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wax — to grow
  15. fall — the season
  16. drill — a practice
  17. press — to push
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — newspapers
  21. cap — of ice
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. temple — side of the head

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