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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
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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: wax · land · chip · root · sharp · wound · calf · cell

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cell — in biology
  4. root — of a word
  5. chip — for betting
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — ground
  9. wax — to grow
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. root — the cause
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. cell — a phone
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. land — a country
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cell — in a prison

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