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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: wave · field · charge · racket · wax · nail · fall · arm

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. charge — a price
  5. fall — the season
  6. field — farmland
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. charge — in control
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. field — a subject
  19. wax — to grow
  20. field — for sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. racket — a loud noise

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