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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. root — of a word
  4. lie — to recline
  5. stock — goods
  6. swing — music
  7. bass — low music
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — to play on
  17. bore — to drill
  18. root — the cause
  19. stock — shares
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bore — to tire
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. root — of a plant
  24. lie — an untruth

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