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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fall — to drop
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. fall — the season
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pit — in a race
  16. root — of a word
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — of a plant
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wax — to grow
  23. root — the cause
  24. pit — a hole

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