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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: firm · wax · root · last · branch · wind · staff · current

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. last — finally
  5. firm — decided
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — a stick
  8. last — final
  9. staff — employees
  10. root — the cause
  11. current — electric
  12. wind — moving air
  13. current — of water
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. root — of a word
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. firm — a company
  18. branch — a division
  19. wind — moving air
  20. current — happening now
  21. last — to go on
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — steady

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