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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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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. can — to be able to
  4. field — a subject
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. root — the cause
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. wax — to grow
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — a tin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. content — the amount
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — for sport
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. root — of a word
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. root — of a plant

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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