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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. saw — the tool
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kick — in football
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cap — of ice
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — music
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. march — the month
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bark — to shout
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. saw — the tool
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. march — the month
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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