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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: trunk · plane · pit · clip · ball · wax · coach · sharp

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. clip — a video
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. clip — for paper
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. clip — to cut
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a dance
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. pit — a hole
  15. wax — to grow
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. plane — a tool
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. ball — a great time
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. sharp — clever

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