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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: staff · trunk · ground · toast · face · squash · cabinet · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. face — to point toward
  3. squash — to crush
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. staff — a stick
  7. staff — employees
  8. face — part of the head
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. squash — the sport
  14. ground — a position
  15. toast — bread
  16. staff — employees
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wax — to grow
  22. face — to confront
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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