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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: wax · ball · fine · trunk · branch · track · mouse · can

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. ball — a dance
  5. branch — a division
  6. fine — all right
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — high quality
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. ball — a great time
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — a song
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. track — to keep track
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. can — to be able to
  24. track — a path

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