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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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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. object — an aim
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bank — for money
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bank — for money
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. chip — for betting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. object — a thing
  18. chip — to eat
  19. object — to protest
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. tear — from crying
  22. last — finally
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wake — a trail

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