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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · hand · wake · lash · bear · jam · trunk · face

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. face — to confront
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bear — the animal
  13. face — part of the head
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hand — help
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to point toward
  21. hand — in cards
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. bear — the animal

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