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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. staff — employees
  4. tube — the underground
  5. drill — the tool
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. drill — a practice
  10. staff — employees
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. tube — a container
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. staff — a stick
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — a loud noise

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