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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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468
Word bank
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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. snap — to click
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. spell — a short time
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. content — the amount
  15. branch — a division
  16. spell — letters
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spell — magic
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. content — happy
  24. cue — for pool

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