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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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Word bank
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. root — of a plant
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. spell — magic
  7. root — the cause
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. key — in music
  10. vault — a safe
  11. stem — to come from
  12. wax — to grow
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. key — for a lock
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. key — the most important part
  22. root — of a word
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chair — a leader

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