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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 120 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: wake · wound · wax · field · can · calf · swing · mouse

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. can — a tin
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. can — to be able to
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. field — farmland
  18. swing — to play on
  19. field — a subject
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. field — for sport
  24. wound — an injury

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