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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: leaves · trunk · rock · pound · vault · hide · wax · cap

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pound — a weight
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cap — of ice
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. wax — to grow
  21. vault — a safe
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. leaves — 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