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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: wax · last · trunk · wound · mug · bore · pitcher · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bore — to drill
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mug — to rob
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — a cup
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. last — finally
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. mug — a face
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. trunk — of a car

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