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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. ball — a dance
  6. key — the most important part
  7. field — for sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. field — a subject
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. key — in music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. field — farmland
  24. snap — to click

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