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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bulb — for light
  4. chest — of your body
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. chest — a box
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bank — of a river
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bank — for money
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. root — of a word
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. root — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bank — for money
  24. wax — to grow

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