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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: mouse · field · wax · scale · trunk · wave · hide · pound

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wax — to grow
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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