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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: wax · root · field · kick · clip · bore · suit · saw

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. field — a subject
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wax — to grow
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. suit — to fit
  15. root — the cause
  16. suit — clothes
  17. root — of a word
  18. bore — to tire
  19. clip — a video
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. clip — for paper
  22. kick — in football
  23. suit — in cards
  24. wax — in the ear

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