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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: cap · root · rush · bank · wax · stand · staff · straw

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — of a river
  4. staff — employees
  5. root — of a plant
  6. wax — to grow
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. staff — employees
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. cap — a lid
  12. root — of a word
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — hurry
  16. root — the cause
  17. staff — a stick
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bank — for money
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wax — for sculpting

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