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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: root · leaves · calf · face · wax · squash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — part of the head
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. squash — to crush
  8. root — of a plant
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. face — to point toward
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. root — the cause
  15. face — to confront
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. wax — in the ear

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