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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: mine · wax · pass · foot · bowl · drill · trunk · stick

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wax — to grow
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pass — a permit
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. drill — the tool
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. drill — army training
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mine — belonging to me

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