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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. suit — in cards
  3. last — to go on
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mark — a trace
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. face — part of the head
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. suit — to fit
  10. face — to point toward
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. last — final
  13. wax — to grow
  14. last — finally
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. face — to confront
  17. rock — a stone
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — music
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of a car
  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