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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 124 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. spell — letters
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bass — low music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. net — after costs
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. net — for catching
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rush — hurry
  14. spell — magic
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. wake — a trail
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wake — before a funeral

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