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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. roll — a cake
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. face — part of the head
  6. content — the amount
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. content — happy
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. roll — a list
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. face — to point toward
  18. tube — a container
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. face — to confront
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cabinet — ministers

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