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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a word
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. club — for golf
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. club — a group
  10. bear — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — from a university
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. degree — temperature
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wax — in the ear

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