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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. row — to paddle
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fall — the season
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. spring — a coil
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. row — a line
  16. fall — to drop
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. fall — to drop
  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