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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. lean — to bend
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — the cause
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rule — a law
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. lean — thin
  24. arm — part of the body

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