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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
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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: pitch · dip · trunk · lie · object · cold · rush · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. object — to protest
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. object — an aim
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rush — hurry
  12. pitch — completely
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. cold — not warm
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wax — to grow
  22. cold — an illness
  23. dip — to sink
  24. object — a thing

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