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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 120 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: leaves · foot · ball · track · charge · wax · perch · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. charge — electricity
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wax — to grow
  12. foot — a measure
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. track — a song
  17. land — a country
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — to keep track
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. track — a path
  24. land — ground

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