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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. tear — to rip
  3. deal — to handle
  4. root — of a plant
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — to come down
  7. root — the cause
  8. row — a line
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. row — to paddle
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. wax — to grow
  16. stand — to bear
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. tear — from crying
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. land — ground
  21. root — of a word
  22. land — a country
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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