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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 116 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: plane · leaves · saw · stem · wax · trunk · track · kick

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  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 car
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wax — to grow
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kick — in football
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. track — a song
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — a path
  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