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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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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: stand · root · wax · roll · snap · fan · rest · calf

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. roll — a cake
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. root — the cause
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. root — of a plant
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. root — of a word
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rest — what's left
  21. roll — a list
  22. snap — to click
  23. stand — on your feet
  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