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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: object · wax · jam · trunk · clip · wake · mouse · bank

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bank — for money
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. clip — a video
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wax — to grow
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. clip — for paper
  12. clip — to cut
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wake — a trail
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bank — of a river
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. bank — for money
  24. object — to protest

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