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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. root — of a plant
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pit — in a race
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — of your body
  10. chest — a box
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rule — government
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. race — humankind
  16. roll — a list
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. fine — high quality
  22. rule — a law
  23. fine — all right
  24. rule — to rule out

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