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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 116 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 · current · wax · tube · perch · leaves · plane · field

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wax — to grow
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. tube — a container
  6. plane — a tool
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. field — farmland
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. current — of water
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — for sport
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. perch — the fish
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. tube — the underground

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