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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 116 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
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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: tube · race · press · racket · trunk · last · nail · wax

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wax — to grow
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. press — a publisher
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. tube — a container
  9. race — the arms race
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. last — finally
  14. tube — the underground
  15. last — to go on
  16. race — a contest
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. race — humankind
  20. press — to push
  21. last — final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. press — newspapers

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