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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. spring — of water
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pass — a permit
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. spring — the season
  12. wax — to grow
  13. dip — to sink
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. root — of a plant
  16. branch — a division
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. root — of a word
  22. spring — a coil
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. dip — to dunk

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