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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. shower — to wash
  3. root — the cause
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. swing — music
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. board — to get on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wax — to grow
  17. root — of a word
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. rest — a break
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. bear — the animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. shower — rain

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