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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · calf · object · trunk · wax · date · club · saw

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wax — to grow
  3. club — for dancing
  4. saw — the tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. date — the fruit
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. club — a group
  13. object — to protest
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. root — the cause
  17. object — a thing
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. saw — the tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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