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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. root — the cause
  4. drill — army training
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — of a plant
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — the animal
  10. root — of a word
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. tube — a container
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. drill — the tool

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