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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hand — help
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. court — of law
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. content — the amount
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. can — to be able to
  13. fork — in a road
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. content — happy
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. hand — in cards
  24. court — of a king

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