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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 · squash · fan · trunk · mouse · dip · field · rest

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. field — a subject
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — for sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. field — farmland
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wax — to grow
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mouse — for a computer

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