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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
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: leaves · wax · foot · rush · roll · pass · calf · racket

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. roll — a list
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. foot — a measure

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