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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — to tire
  3. root — of a word
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. suit — to fit
  6. current — electric
  7. root — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. root — the cause
  10. race — a contest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wax — to grow
  13. suit — in cards
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bore — to drill
  16. current — happening now
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. current — of water
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — the arms race
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. suit — clothes
  24. race — humankind

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