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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. clip — for paper
  11. wax — to grow
  12. stem — to come from
  13. clip — a video
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. clip — to cut
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wake — a trail

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