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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. root — the cause
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bank — of a river
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bank — for money
  18. root — of a word
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bank — for money
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — to bear

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