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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: trunk · rush · calf · plane · mouse · wax · jam · wound

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rush — hurry
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. wound — an injury
  24. plane — in geometry

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