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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.

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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 · field · suit · lean · calf · fan · root · ball

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. ball — a great time
  3. suit — clothes
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wax — to grow
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. lean — thin
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — the cause
  12. lean — to bend
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. field — for sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a dance
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. suit — in cards
  24. root — of a plant

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