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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wax — to grow
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. present — there
  5. tear — to rip
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. track — to keep track
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. root — of a plant
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. degree — temperature
  15. track — a song
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. track — a path
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. present — a gift
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. root — of a word
  23. present — the time now
  24. wax — in the ear

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