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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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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: wind · root · field · lash · season · wave · calf · vault

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. root — of a plant
  7. season — in sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. root — the cause
  14. field — for sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. field — farmland
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — moving air
  24. season — of the year

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