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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. land — ground
  5. land — a country
  6. drill — army training
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. present — the time now
  10. land — to come down
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wax — to grow
  13. present — a gift
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. drill — the tool
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. kid — child
  21. lean — thin
  22. present — there
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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