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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: hand · wax · bear · stem · perch · mouse · root · track

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. root — the cause
  5. stem — to come from
  6. root — of a word
  7. track — to keep track
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hand — help
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bear — the animal
  24. hand — 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