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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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. mark — a grade
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. wind — moving air
  7. root — of a plant
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fine — high quality
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bear — the animal
  14. root — the cause
  15. wind — moving air
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. fine — all right
  24. straw — a straw man

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