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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. face — to confront
  10. bank — for money
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. face — to point toward
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. face — part of the head
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bank — of a river
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mark — a trace

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