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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. rash — a series
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. drill — a practice
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. prune — to trim
  10. drill — the tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — to grow
  16. content — the amount
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — happy
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. root — the cause
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wake — a trail

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