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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: pitcher · racket · trunk · hand · wax · fall · bowl · deal

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. wax — to grow
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. fall — the season
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — help
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. wax — in the ear
  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