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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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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 · pound · stand · toast · chest · last · fork · wax

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. toast — bread
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. last — finally
  16. stand — to bear
  17. last — final
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pound — a weight
  20. chest — of your body
  21. last — to go on
  22. chest — of your body
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. trunk — of a tree

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