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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 120 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: bore · cold · straw · content · rash · root · wax · cabinet

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. root — the cause
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — to tire
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cold — not warm
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — the amount
  22. rash — hasty
  23. root — of a plant
  24. cold — an illness

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