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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: content · bay · track · prune · can · wax · straw · trunk

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. content — happy
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. content — the amount
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wax — to grow
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. track — a song
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. track — a path
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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