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

Word bank: bat · hide · trunk · foot · wax · pit · stem · bay

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. foot — a measure
  14. stem — to come from
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. pit — in a race
  24. foot — part of the body

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