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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mate — a partner
  9. root — of a plant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. cell — in biology
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — to grow
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cell — a phone
  22. fine — all right
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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