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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bore — to tire
  5. root — of a plant
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. root — of a word
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. root — the cause
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. rule — a law
  20. bore — to drill
  21. cap — a hat
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — to grow

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