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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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. game — a match
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. squash — to crush
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — for digging
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. game — wild animals
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. hide — to keep secret

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