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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: last · face · lie · root · wave · calf · wax · tube

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. last — to go on
  5. root — of a word
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. last — final
  9. root — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to point toward
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to confront
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. root — the cause
  18. face — part of the head
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. tube — a container
  22. wax — to grow
  23. last — finally
  24. lie — to recline

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