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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: wax · fine · leaves · sharp · trunk · fan · perch · swing

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wax — to grow
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. swing — music
  6. fine — all right
  7. swing — in golf
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. perch — the fish
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. swing — to play on
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — high quality
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. fan — a supporter

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