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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 124 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wax — to grow
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hand — help
  10. degree — from a university
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. degree — an amount
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. current — happening now
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. degree — temperature
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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