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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 · current · trunk · cabinet · content · tube · bear · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. swing — to play on
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. current — happening now
  8. swing — in golf
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. swing — music
  13. current — electric
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bear — the animal
  19. tube — a container
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bear — to put up with
  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