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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 120 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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. season — of the year
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. hand — help
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. hand — in cards
  13. season — in sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. rest — a break
  16. chip — for betting
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. chip — to eat
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. tube — the underground
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. tube — a container

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