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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 116 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: can · bulb · ruler · kick · root · cell · face · wax

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. can — a tin
  12. kick — in football
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. can — to be able to
  15. bulb — for light
  16. face — to confront
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. root — of a word
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. can — a tin
  22. cell — in biology
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wax — to grow

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