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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: calf · wake · root · court · file · spell · wax · club

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. root — the cause
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. file — a document
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — magic
  9. wake — a trail
  10. root — of a plant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — a group
  14. court — for sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. file — a line of people
  18. court — of a king
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. file — a tool
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. club — for golf
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. court — of law

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