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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.

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: sharp · stand · root · degree · ground · leaves · wax · chest

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. ground — a position
  4. chest — of your body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wax — to grow
  7. ground — crushed
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. stand — to bear
  10. root — of a plant
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chest — a box
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ground — the earth
  16. degree — an amount
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chest — of your body
  21. root — of a word
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. sharp — with an edge

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