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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 120 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: root · fall · saw · wax · shower · straw · charge · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. fall — to drop
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. root — of a word
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. suit — to fit
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. root — of a plant
  9. wax — to grow
  10. saw — the tool
  11. charge — electricity
  12. fall — the season
  13. charge — in control
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fall — to drop
  16. charge — a price
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. shower — rain
  21. suit — clothes
  22. saw — the tool
  23. root — the cause
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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