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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. stem — to come from
  7. wound — an injury
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wound — an injury
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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