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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 116 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 · land · pound · face · mate · deal · trunk · key

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. land — to come down
  6. face — to point toward
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wax — to grow
  9. deal — to handle
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mate — to breed
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — part of the head
  16. land — a country
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. land — ground
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pound — a weight
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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