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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: toast · key · track · fan · arm · lean · root · wax

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — the most important part
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. toast — bread
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. track — a song
  10. key — in music
  11. root — of a word
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. root — the cause
  18. track — a path
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. lean — thin
  24. key — for a lock

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