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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fall — to drop
  3. band — a ring
  4. mate — a partner
  5. fall — to drop
  6. net — after costs
  7. fall — the season
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. net — for catching
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — in sport
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. band — a music group
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. mate — a friend
  18. racket — for tennis

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