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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.

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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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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: present · wax · trunk · spell · bulb · net · saw · pound

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. net — after costs
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pound — a weight
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. net — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bulb — for light
  13. net — for catching
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. present — a gift
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — magic
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pound — for dogs

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