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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: net · roll · pound · wax · tear · dip · rock · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pound — a weight
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. net — in sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. tear — from crying
  9. net — for catching
  10. roll — a list
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. rock — music
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. wax — to grow
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. dip — to sink
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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