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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: root · patient · wax · straw · stand · lie · pop · cue

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  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 — dry grass
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pop — to visit
  5. lie — to recline
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. cue — a hint
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pop — music
  13. cue — a signal
  14. stand — to bear
  15. root — of a word
  16. pop — soda
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. root — the cause
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. patient — a sick person
  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