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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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. tear — from crying
  12. root — the cause
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bear — the animal
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. tear — to rip
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a word
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. tear — from crying

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