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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: hide · field · trunk · bulb · wax · wake · pop · spring

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wake — a trail
  5. pop — soda
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. spring — a coil
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. field — for sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. spring — the season
  12. field — a subject
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spring — of water
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pop — to visit
  24. field — farmland

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