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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: sharp · straw · root · snap · wake · wax · rash · present

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. root — the cause
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. root — of a plant
  14. present — a gift
  15. sharp — clever
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — the time now
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. root — of a word
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. present — there
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wax — to grow

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