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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
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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: land · leaves · cabinet · wax · pass · root · rush · mine

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. land — to come down
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — a permit
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. root — of a word
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. land — a country
  22. wax — to grow
  23. root — the cause
  24. cabinet — ministers

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