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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: chip · wax · club · trunk · spell · bat · can · bear

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. club — for golf
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. chip — for betting
  5. wax — to grow
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. club — for dancing
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — letters
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — to eat
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. club — a group

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