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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. root — of a word
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pit — a hole
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pit — in a race
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. root — the cause
  24. root — of a plant

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