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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 a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. root — of a plant
  2. wax — to grow
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. present — a gift
  6. root — of a word
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cell — a phone
  9. present — the time now
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fine — high quality
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. root — the cause
  20. cell — in biology
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. present — there
  23. fine — all right
  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