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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: net · rest · stick · wax · pitch · trunk · suit · cell

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — completely
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. net — in sport
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rest — a break
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. net — after costs
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rest — what's left
  18. suit — to fit
  19. cell — in biology
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. net — for catching
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. trunk — of a tree

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