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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. swing — in golf
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chest — a box
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — to play on
  13. chest — of your body
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a list
  16. chest — of your body
  17. net — after costs
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — for catching
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. roll — a cake
  24. net — in sport

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