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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. suit — in cards
  5. current — electric
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. current — happening now
  12. suit — clothes
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. current — of water
  16. wind — moving air
  17. suit — to fit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. wind — moving air
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pass — a permit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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