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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: leaves · mug · foot · rash · straw · track · wax · racket

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. rash — a series
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mug — to rob
  10. track — a song
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rash — hasty
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. mug — a face
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. foot — part of the body

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