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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.

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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: wax · root · straw · lean · staff · stem · can · plane

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. can — to be able to
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lean — thin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. root — of a plant
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — the cause
  11. can — a tin
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. staff — employees
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lean — to bend
  21. plane — a tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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