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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 120 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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. mark — a trace
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chair — a leader
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spell — a short time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mark — a grade
  16. prune — to trim
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. spell — magic
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. spell — letters

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