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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: cap · root · spring · squash · staff · board · wax · plane

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. root — the cause
  3. staff — employees
  4. board — a committee
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. staff — a stick
  8. root — of a plant
  9. spring — of water
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. staff — employees
  13. squash — to crush
  14. board — to get on
  15. cap — a hat
  16. spring — the season
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cap — of ice
  19. root — of a word
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — a lid

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