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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 116 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: mug · squash · calf · saw · wax · row · root · object

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. row — a line
  9. object — a thing
  10. squash — the sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. row — to paddle
  13. mug — a face
  14. object — to protest
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wax — to grow
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. saw — the tool
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mug — a cup
  23. object — an aim
  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