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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wax — to grow
  3. land — to come down
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mark — a grade
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mark — a trace
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. land — a country
  13. firm — steady
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. land — ground
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. firm — decided
  19. scale — in music
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. firm — a company
  24. pass — a permit

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