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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: wax · wave · racket · bound · saw · field · stand · calf

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bound — obliged
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stand — to bear
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bound — certain
  18. field — a subject
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. field — farmland
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. racket — for tennis

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