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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: lash · kid · season · root · craft · patient · fan · wax

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. root — of a plant
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — of the year
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. kid — to tease
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. root — the cause
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. craft — boats
  23. season — in sport
  24. fan — a supporter

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