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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. squash — to crush
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — the cause
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. shower — rain
  13. squash — the sport
  14. swing — music
  15. root — of a word
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. swing — to play on
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

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