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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: object · branch · leaves · wax · field · bore · wave · swing

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. object — an aim
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — a division
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to tire
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. field — farmland
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. object — a thing
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. object — to protest
  24. field — a subject

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