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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. net — in sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. firm — decided
  7. bank — for money
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wax — to grow
  12. firm — a company
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bank — for money
  15. net — for catching
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — of a river
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — after costs
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. firm — steady

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