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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 120 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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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: trunk · patient · wax · stick · wake · drill · calf · race

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. race — a contest
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. drill — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wake — a trail
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. race — humankind
  21. wax — to grow
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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