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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. cold — an illness
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. stock — goods
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. key — in music
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. key — for a lock
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. stock — shares
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. cold — not warm

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