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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · cap · wax · stand · straw · track · foot · trunk

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. track — to keep track
  7. cap — a lid
  8. key — in music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. track — a path
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. wax — to grow
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. track — a song
  20. foot — a measure
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cap — of ice
  24. key — for a lock

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