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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. key — in music
  3. root — of a plant
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. root — of a word
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. key — the most important part
  16. root — the cause
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ruler — a monarch

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