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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lean — thin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. track — a path
  6. ball — a great time
  7. swing — to play on
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. swing — music
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — a country
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. track — a song
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. swing — in golf
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. land — ground
  23. track — to keep track
  24. lean — to bend

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