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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wax — to grow
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rush — hurry
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. spring — the season
  12. wind — moving air
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. root — the cause
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. root — of a word
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wind — moving air
  24. coach — a trainer

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