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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: face · trunk · object · rock · tear · rush · wax · saw

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. saw — the tool
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. face — to confront
  9. wax — to grow
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — to protest
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. tear — from crying
  15. object — an aim
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. object — a thing
  18. face — part of the head
  19. rock — a stone
  20. face — to point toward
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rock — music

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