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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bore · trunk · rush · march · cell · stick · leaves

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. rush — hurry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. march — music
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — a phone
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. march — the month

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