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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bound — certain
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — obliged
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wake — a trail

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