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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 116 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: wax · last · staff · pound · squash · firm · stem · straw

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. staff — a stick
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — finally
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. firm — steady
  9. squash — the sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. squash — to crush
  12. firm — a company
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. last — final
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. straw — dry grass

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