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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. saw — the tool
  4. root — of a plant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — the cause
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bass — low music
  12. date — the fruit
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bass — the fish
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

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