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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. board — to get on
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. board — a committee
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rush — hurry

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