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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: bay · kick · fork · root · court · wax · lash · drill

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. root — the cause
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. drill — a practice
  6. court — of a king
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. court — of law
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. root — of a word
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. root — of a plant

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