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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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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 · date · object · can · wax · rest · straw · temple

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. object — to protest
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. can — to be able to
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — a break
  10. date — the fruit
  11. root — of a plant
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. object — an aim
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. root — of a word
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rest — what's left
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — the cause
  22. object — a thing
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. can — a tin

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