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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.

Make a worksheet

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: land · racket · rock · ball · leaves · wax · rest · bat

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. ball — a great time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rest — a break
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. land — to come down
  12. rock — music
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. land — a country
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. land — ground
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — the animal
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ball — a dance
  24. wax — for sculpting

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