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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: wax · rush · bay · trunk · cap · rest · saw · wake

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cap — a hat
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rush — hurry
  12. cap — a lid
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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