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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. sharp — clever
  6. land — ground
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. land — a country
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rock — music
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. rock — a stone
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — to come down
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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