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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: bulb · can · last · wax · foot · trunk · game · pound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. game — a match
  5. pound — a weight
  6. wax — to grow
  7. last — finally
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bulb — for light
  10. can — a tin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. game — wild animals
  13. can — a tin
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. can — to be able to
  17. foot — a measure
  18. last — to go on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. last — final
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. pound — to hit hard

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