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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 116 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
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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: hand · prune · root · bass · cap · wax · pass · straw

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. cap — of ice
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. cap — a lid
  5. root — of a word
  6. root — of a plant
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bass — low music
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. hand — help
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cap — a hat
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bass — the fish
  24. straw — a straw man

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