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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: lean · wax · wound · staff · trunk · file · stick · game

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lean — thin
  8. game — wild animals
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. file — a document
  12. wax — to grow
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. lean — to bend
  16. file — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. staff — employees
  19. wound — an injury
  20. file — a line of people
  21. game — a match
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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