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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: wax · club · trunk · cabinet · land · kid · lash · cue

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cue — for pool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. land — a country
  5. cue — a hint
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. club — a group
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. club — for golf
  15. land — ground
  16. cue — a signal
  17. kid — child
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kid — to tease
  22. land — to come down
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lash — an eyelash

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