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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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. file — a tool
  8. key — in music
  9. wax — to grow
  10. cap — a hat
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. file — a document
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. file — a line of people
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. suit — clothes
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — hurry

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