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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. root — the cause
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. root — of a word
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — to grow
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. root — of a plant
  11. dip — to sink
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. perch — the fish
  16. cap — a hat
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. lean — thin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. lean — to bend
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — a sick person

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