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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
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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: trunk · wax · bay · leaves · cue · lean · sharp · chip

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cue — a hint
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cue — for pool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lean — thin
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. chip — for betting

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