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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. drill — army training
  13. rash — hasty
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — a practice
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rash — a series
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — to shout
  23. prune — to trim
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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