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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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468
Word bank
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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. band — a ring
  11. game — wild animals
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a music group
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. snap — to click
  24. wave — with your hand

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