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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: sharp · calf · root · wax · dip · chair · kick · rash

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — in football
  3. wax — to grow
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — of a word
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chair — a leader
  11. sharp — clever
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. root — of a plant
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. rash — hasty
  18. root — the cause
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wax — in the ear

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