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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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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: toast · roll · stand · present · wax · wave · root · cell

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. roll — a list
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. cell — in biology
  17. root — the cause
  18. cell — a phone
  19. stand — to bear
  20. present — there
  21. present — a gift
  22. root — of a plant
  23. roll — a cake
  24. present — the time now

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