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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · track · court · wax · temple · pit · lean · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. track — a path
  4. track — to keep track
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. lean — to bend
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — in a race
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. pit — a hole
  13. court — for sport
  14. track — a song
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. court — of law
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lean — thin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. court — of a king
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. temple — a place of worship

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