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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.

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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: wax · trunk · bass · track · hide · lean · scale · straw

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. lean — thin
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. track — a path
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. lean — to bend
  16. scale — in music
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wax — to grow
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. track — a song
  21. bass — the fish
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bass — low music
  24. trunk — of a tree

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