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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · root · snap · wax · ground · tear · craft · fork

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. can — a tin
  6. craft — boats
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. tear — to rip
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — the cause
  14. craft — a skill
  15. root — of a plant
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. wax — to grow
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ground — a position
  21. root — of a word
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. can — a tin

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