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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.

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 · fork · trunk · content · cabinet · wax · field · root

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. root — of a plant
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — the amount
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. root — of a word
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. can — to be able to
  12. root — the cause
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fork — in a road
  15. can — a tin
  16. field — a subject
  17. content — happy
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. field — for sport
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. can — a tin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. field — farmland

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