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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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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 · wax · content · vault · net · file · patient · squash

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. root — of a plant
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. file — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. file — a document
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. root — of a word
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. net — in sport
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a line of people
  24. squash — the vegetable

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