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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bat — the animal
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — to get on
  10. chest — a box
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. chest — of your body
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — a committee
  22. mine — for digging
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mine — belonging to me

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