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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. root — of a plant
  8. file — a tool
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cap — a lid
  11. date — the fruit
  12. file — a document
  13. rest — a break
  14. root — of a word
  15. can — to be able to
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bore — to drill
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bore — to tire
  21. root — the cause
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. rest — what's left

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