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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: stick · trunk · pop · charge · spring · mate · rest · wax

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. rest — what's left
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. mate — to breed
  12. pop — music
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pop — soda
  16. spring — of water
  17. charge — a price
  18. spring — the season
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. spring — a coil
  23. pop — to visit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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