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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: swing · pitcher · trunk · wax · lean · field · suit · perch

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. suit — in cards
  3. swing — music
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. suit — to fit
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. suit — clothes
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lean — thin
  17. swing — in golf
  18. field — farmland
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. field — a subject
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. swing — to play on

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