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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 120 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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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: lie · root · key · wound · mark · calf · bowl · wax

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. key — for a lock
  3. root — of a word
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. root — of a plant
  7. key — the most important part
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. root — the cause
  15. key — in music
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. mark — a trace
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wound — an injury

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