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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: ruler · root · cabinet · object · rush · mate · wax · stem

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. root — of a plant
  11. mate — to breed
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. object — an aim
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. root — the cause
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — a partner
  23. stem — to come from
  24. root — of a word

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