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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 116 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: wax · tube · trunk · drill · stand · charge · saw · bowl

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. drill — army training
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. charge — in control
  11. tube — the underground
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. saw — the tool
  14. drill — a practice
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stand — to bear
  17. saw — the tool
  18. tube — a container
  19. wax — to grow
  20. drill — the tool
  21. charge — a price
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. charge — electricity

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