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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
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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: field · bat · bore · wax · trunk · perch · fan · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — a subject
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wax — to grow
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — farmland
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. perch — for a bird
  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