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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: cap · wax · bark · net · trunk · stand · tube · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. net — for catching
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. net — after costs
  6. cap — a lid
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fall — the season
  10. bark — to shout
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. cap — a hat
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fall — to drop
  20. cap — of ice
  21. net — in sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. tube — a container

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