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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: hide · staff · degree · straw · root · plane · wax · cabinet

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. staff — employees
  7. degree — temperature
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. staff — employees
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — to grow
  12. degree — from a university
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. plane — a tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — the cause
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. root — of a word
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. degree — an amount

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