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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: trunk · perch · foot · rash · wax · lean · can · rock

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. can — a tin
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. can — a tin
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — hasty
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. lean — thin
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — music
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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