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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: tear · chest · root · club · lie · stock · foot · wax

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. stock — shares
  5. wax — to grow
  6. chest — a box
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. tear — to rip
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — of a word
  13. stock — goods
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. club — a group
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tear — from crying
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. club — for golf
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lie — to recline
  24. root — of a plant

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