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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
468
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: press · wax · net · content · ball · lash · fork · trunk

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. net — after costs
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. press — newspapers
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. net — in sport
  10. press — to push
  11. fork — in a road
  12. content — happy
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. ball — a great time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. net — for catching
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wax — to grow
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. ball — a dance
  24. content — the amount

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