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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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. wound — an injury
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. root — the cause
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. key — in music
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wound — an injury
  21. key — for a lock
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. wax — to grow

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