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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. wound — an injury
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. charge — electricity
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. charge — a price
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. charge — in control
  12. tube — the underground
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. branch — a division
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  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