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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. track — a path
  6. rest — what's left
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. track — a song
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. snap — to click
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rest — a break
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. band — a rubber band

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