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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: can · drill · court · wax · straw · trunk · tube · bowl

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. drill — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. can — to be able to
  9. drill — a practice
  10. can — a tin
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wax — to grow
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. court — of law
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. wax — for sculpting

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