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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wax — to grow
  3. cue — for pool
  4. root — the cause
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bulb — for light
  8. march — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. march — the month
  11. fall — the season
  12. march — the month
  13. root — of a plant
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rock — music
  24. bulb — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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