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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mate — a friend
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — a partner
  12. ground — a position
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. key — in music
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. pound — a weight
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bore — to tire

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