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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
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: fan · ball · calf · lie · wax · leaves · field · track

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — for sport
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. field — a subject
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. field — farmland
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a dance
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. track — a song
  19. lie — to recline
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ball — a great time
  24. calf — a young animal

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