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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.

Make a worksheet

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: trunk · content · wax · clip · wake · prune · safe · board

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. wake — a trail
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. clip — a video
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. content — the amount
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. clip — for paper
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. board — to get on
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. clip — to cut

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