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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: wax · hide · mate · wave · fine · tear · spell · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. tear — from crying
  4. field — a subject
  5. fine — all right
  6. mate — a partner
  7. field — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — to grow
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mate — to breed
  13. spell — magic
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. spell — letters
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fine — high quality
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. mate — a friend
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — a short time

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