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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: rush · march · bear · toast · root · wax · hand · firm

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. toast — bread
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. hand — help
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — in cards
  14. root — the cause
  15. march — the month
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — the month
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. firm — a company
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. march — music

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