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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  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. firm — a company
  2. firm — decided
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. firm — steady
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. root — of a plant
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. content — happy
  12. root — of a word
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wax — to grow
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. content — the amount
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. court — of law
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  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