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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: wave · trunk · nail · field · pitch · perch · wax · saw

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — a subject
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — for sport
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. saw — the tool

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