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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: pop · plane · track · wax · root · mine · calf · mouse

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. track — to keep track
  5. root — of a word
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. track — a path
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — music
  11. root — the cause
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. track — a song
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wax — to grow
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pop — soda
  24. plane — in geometry

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