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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. shower — to wash
  3. plane — a tool
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. object — to protest
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. object — an aim
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. clip — to cut
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. shower — rain
  16. mark — a trace
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. mark — a grade
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — for paper
  23. object — a thing
  24. racket — for tennis

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