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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: chest · root · fine · bear · suit · wax · bowl · cell

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bear — the animal
  6. root — of a word
  7. chest — a box
  8. fine — high quality
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fine — all right
  22. suit — in cards
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. suit — clothes

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