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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. roll — a list
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cue — for pool
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — of a plant
  10. race — a contest
  11. bat — the animal
  12. race — humankind
  13. craft — boats
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cue — a signal
  17. root — the cause
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cue — a hint
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cabinet — ministers

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