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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.

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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: bay · calf · stick · nail · wax · rash · last · root

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. last — to go on
  8. wax — to grow
  9. last — finally
  10. root — of a word
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. last — final
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. root — the cause
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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