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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: root · perch · stand · safe · wax · wind · game · key

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wax — to grow
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. key — for a lock
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. game — a match
  9. key — in music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. root — the cause
  12. wind — moving air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — the fish
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. root — of a word
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. game — wild animals
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. root — of a plant
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stand — to bear

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