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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mate — a friend
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. lean — thin
  9. spell — a short time
  10. net — in sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. spell — letters
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mate — to breed

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