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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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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: tear · wave · firm · root · prune · bore · scale · tube

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. firm — decided
  3. prune — to trim
  4. tear — from crying
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. prune — to trim
  7. tube — the underground
  8. tube — a container
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. scale — in music
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bore — to drill
  16. root — of a word
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. root — of a plant
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. tube — in a tire

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