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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. root — of a word
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wax — to grow
  6. root — of a plant
  7. shower — to wash
  8. can — a tin
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mate — to breed
  11. mark — a grade
  12. court — of a king
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. root — the cause
  15. shower — rain
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. court — for sport
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mate — a partner
  22. court — of law
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. lash — an eyelash

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