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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bank — for money
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bank — of a river
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — high quality
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — all right
  18. bank — for money
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. arm — part of the body

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