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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. object — an aim
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. lean — to bend
  7. root — of a plant
  8. root — of a word
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. object — a thing
  14. lean — thin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. object — to protest
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. root — the cause

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