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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.

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: can · hide · tube · shower · rock · trunk · wax · ground

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. tube — a container
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — to be able to
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ground — the earth
  15. can — a tin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. shower — rain
  19. rock — music
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. shower — to wash
  22. can — a tin
  23. ground — a position
  24. wax — for sculpting

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