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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: net · wake · tear · wax · root · object · calf · drill

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. tear — from crying
  3. root — of a word
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. object — to protest
  6. drill — army training
  7. drill — a practice
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. net — in sport
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. net — after costs
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. object — an aim
  14. wax — to grow
  15. drill — the tool
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. root — of a plant
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — a trail
  22. tear — to rip
  23. object — a thing
  24. root — the cause

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