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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: foot · trunk · bore · wax · ball · date · swing · bay

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. date — the fruit
  4. wax — to grow
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. swing — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — in the ear

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