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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: coach · nail · racket · lean · rush · game · foot · wax

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — to bend
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — thin
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — wild animals
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. game — a kind of play
  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