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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. lean — thin
  4. root — the cause
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. object — a thing
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. root — of a word
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. root — of a plant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — to bend

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