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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. tube — a container
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. club — a group
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — to crush
  13. club — for dancing
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. squash — the sport
  19. wax — to grow
  20. club — for golf
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mine — an explosive

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