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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: trunk · fan · wave · field · wax · plane · stem · mouse

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. field — a subject
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stem — to come from
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. field — for sport

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