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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.

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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 · saw · can · mouse · stem · row · fork · wax

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. root — of a plant
  5. can — to be able to
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. root — of a word
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. can — a tin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. root — the cause
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fork — in a road

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