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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: wax · cell · trunk · foot · coach · sharp · fall · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. cell — a phone
  4. foot — a measure
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. fall — the season
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fall — to drop
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cell — in biology
  24. trunk — of a car

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