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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. drill — the tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. drill — army training
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. bass — low music
  17. wax — to grow
  18. drill — a practice
  19. root — the cause
  20. object — a thing
  21. bass — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. object — an aim

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