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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · track · perch · tube · trunk · wax · present · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. track — a song
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. track — a path
  7. present — the time now
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. present — there
  11. track — to keep track
  12. tube — the underground
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. present — a gift
  23. perch — the fish
  24. trunk — of a car

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