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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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — from crying
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — crushed
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ground — a position
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to click
  12. tear — to rip
  13. ground — the earth
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wax — to grow
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. tear — from crying
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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