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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. current — of water
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cap — of ice
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. cap — a hat
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. racket — for tennis

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