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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: trunk · stick · wound · file · board · wax · squash · firm

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. firm — steady
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. firm — a company
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. board — to get on
  12. firm — decided
  13. wound — an injury
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. squash — the sport
  16. file — a tool
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. file — a line of people
  20. board — a committee
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. squash — to crush
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. wax — to grow

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