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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bark — to shout
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. sharp — clever
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. scale — in music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. rule — a law

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