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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · bay · wind · date · cell · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. 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. wave — with your hand
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cell — in biology
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. cell — a phone
  14. date — the fruit
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. 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