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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. root — of a word
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — certain
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. root — the cause
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. root — of a plant
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. degree — an amount
  22. bound — obliged
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. craft — boats

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