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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 116 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. swing — to play on
  3. root — of a plant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. root — of a word
  8. tear — to rip
  9. root — the cause
  10. object — a thing
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wax — to grow
  14. object — to protest
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. tear — from crying
  22. swing — music
  23. object — an aim
  24. can — a tin

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