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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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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: snap · wax · land · straw · wind · press · root · safe

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wax — to grow
  3. root — the cause
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. land — to come down
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. root — of a word
  12. press — newspapers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. root — of a plant
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. land — ground
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. land — a country
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to click

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