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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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wound — an injury
  3. root — of a plant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. roll — a list
  8. wax — to grow
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — a tin
  12. roll — a cake
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — a tin
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. root — of a word
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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