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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.

Make a worksheet

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: present · charge · straw · root · net · wax · squash · plane

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — of a word
  4. squash — the sport
  5. charge — in control
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. net — in sport
  10. charge — electricity
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. charge — a price
  13. plane — a tool
  14. present — a gift
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wax — to grow
  22. root — the cause
  23. present — there
  24. root — of a plant

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