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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · hide · board · straw · fine · wax · present · shower

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — all right
  16. present — there
  17. board — to get on
  18. shower — rain
  19. present — the time now
  20. fine — high quality
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. present — a gift

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