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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 120 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
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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: root · can · file · mouse · prune · chest · sharp · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. root — the cause
  5. chest — a box
  6. root — of a word
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. prune — to trim
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a document
  12. prune — to trim
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. sharp — clever
  15. file — a tool
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. chest — of your body
  19. wax — to grow
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — exactly

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