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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — in cards
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — help
  11. cap — a hat
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wave — with your hand

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