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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · craft · stand · root · wax · perch · sharp · straw

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. root — of a plant
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — the cause
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — boats
  24. stand — to bear

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