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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. plane — a tool
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. perch — the fish
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — a price
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. wax — to grow
  12. face — to point toward
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. face — to confront
  15. charge — electricity
  16. face — part of the head
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. charge — in control

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