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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
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: calf · bulb · wax · root · coach · wind · temple · mug

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. root — the cause
  7. root — of a word
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mug — a face
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — moving air

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