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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: land · safe · staff · fall · racket · can · wax · track

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. land — ground
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fall — to drop
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. can — a tin
  9. track — a path
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. can — a tin
  18. land — a country
  19. track — a song
  20. track — to keep track
  21. staff — employees
  22. land — to come down
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wax — to grow

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