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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rest — a break
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. present — a gift
  9. rest — what's left
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — farmland
  12. bank — of a river
  13. field — for sport
  14. bank — for money
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wax — to grow
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. field — a subject
  23. bank — for money
  24. date — the fruit

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