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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. root — the cause
  4. charge — in control
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stem — to come from
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. foot — a measure
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — electricity
  21. root — of a plant
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — the bottom

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