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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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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: foot · lash · wax · cue · leaves · rule · racket · cold

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cue — a hint
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rule — a law
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rule — government
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cue — a signal
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cold — not warm
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. lash — an eyelash

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