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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 120 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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — of a plant
  5. prune — to trim
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. wax — to grow
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. suit — in cards
  13. race — a contest
  14. race — humankind
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — goods
  17. suit — to fit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. race — the arms race
  22. suit — clothes
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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