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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.

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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. field — farmland
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. root — the cause
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. root — of a plant
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wax — to grow
  15. field — for sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. root — of a word
  22. vault — a safe
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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