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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: wax · object · branch · mug · fine · trunk · nail · field

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wax — to grow
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. field — a subject
  9. object — an aim
  10. mug — a face
  11. branch — a division
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. object — to protest
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. object — a thing
  17. mug — a cup
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. nail — for a hammer

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