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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: kick · present · mouse · track · fall · bat · coach · wax

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. present — there
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. present — a gift
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — the season
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. present — the time now
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. track — a song
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bat — the animal
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. kick — in football
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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