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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: rock · roll · wax · rush · straw · bear · cabinet · root

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. root — the cause
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. root — of a word
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. rock — a stone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rock — music
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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