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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: safe · kid · bat · racket · wax · leaves · track · mouse

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bat — the animal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a path
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. track — a song
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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