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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 120 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: mark · net · calf · wax · scale · root · cell · lean

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. scale — size or range
  5. root — the cause
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wax — to grow
  8. net — in sport
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lean — to bend
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. net — after costs
  20. lean — thin
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mark — a grade

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