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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: wake · trunk · mine · pit · wax · can · object · roll

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. can — a tin
  5. pit — in a race
  6. roll — a cake
  7. object — a thing
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. roll — a list
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. object — an aim
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. can — a tin
  17. object — to protest
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pit — a hole
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wake — a trail

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