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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: chair · can · wax · chip · rock · roll · root · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — a leader
  5. root — of a word
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rock — a stone
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. roll — a list
  11. fall — the season
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. chip — for betting
  14. can — a tin
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fall — to drop
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. root — the cause
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. can — to be able to
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. can — a tin
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chip — to eat

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