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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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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: stem · track · net · face · wax · firm · calf · degree

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. net — after costs
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. firm — a company
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — steady
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. face — to point toward
  17. degree — an amount
  18. stem — to come from
  19. degree — temperature
  20. firm — decided
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. track — a song
  23. degree — from a university
  24. face — to confront

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