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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: ground · bear · root · tear · key · wax · can · trunk

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. root — of a word
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — in music
  9. bear — the animal
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — a tin
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. key — the most important part
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. tear — from crying
  17. tear — to rip
  18. ground — crushed
  19. tear — from crying
  20. key — for a lock
  21. root — of a plant
  22. ground — the earth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. ground — a position

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