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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: bear · wax · root · tear · shower · chip · row · vault

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bear — the animal
  3. chip — to eat
  4. shower — rain
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. row — a line
  8. root — of a word
  9. wax — to grow
  10. tear — from crying
  11. row — to paddle
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. shower — to wash
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. vault — a safe
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wax — in the ear

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