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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. root — the cause
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. date — the fruit
  9. root — of a word
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. root — of a plant
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. nail — on a finger

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