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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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. capital — a city
  8. mate — a friend
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. mate — a partner
  12. wax — to grow
  13. staff — employees
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. root — of a word
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. tube — the underground
  20. capital — money
  21. mate — to breed
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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