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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
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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: firm · current · root · plane · bat · wax · present · tear

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — from crying
  4. firm — steady
  5. firm — a company
  6. root — of a plant
  7. present — there
  8. present — the time now
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — to grow
  11. root — of a word
  12. current — electric
  13. plane — a tool
  14. current — of water
  15. present — a gift
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — happening now
  20. root — the cause
  21. tear — to rip
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bat — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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