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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.

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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: bore · hide · sharp · dip · rash · wax · perch · trunk

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rash — a series
  8. sharp — clever
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. perch — the fish
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bore — to drill
  20. wax — to grow
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rash — hasty

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