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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. degree — from a university
  5. deal — to handle
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. suit — clothes
  12. degree — an amount
  13. suit — to fit
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. content — happy
  20. degree — temperature
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. suit — in cards
  23. content — the amount
  24. wound — an injury

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