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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. net — in sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bulb — for light
  11. root — of a plant
  12. club — for golf
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rest — a break
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rest — what's left
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. club — a group
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. saw — the tool

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