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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 116 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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fall — to drop
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bulb — for light
  5. cue — a hint
  6. root — of a word
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fall — the season
  11. cue — a signal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mug — a face
  18. cue — for pool
  19. bulb — for light
  20. mug — to rob
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. kid — child
  23. root — the cause
  24. fall — to drop

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