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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 116 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cue — a hint
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. cue — for pool
  6. wax — to grow
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — letters
  9. key — for a lock
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. key — in music
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cue — a signal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — magic
  24. bowl — a dish

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