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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pass — a permit
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. suit — in cards
  7. mine — for digging
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. root — the cause
  13. suit — clothes
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. game — wild animals
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — to grow

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