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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. root — the cause
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cue — for pool
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wax — to grow
  9. spell — letters
  10. root — of a word
  11. cue — a hint
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. lean — thin
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. clip — for paper
  17. spell — a short time
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. cue — a signal
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. spell — magic
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. root — of a plant

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