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

Word bank: race · wave · racket · straw · bowl · cell

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. 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. straw — dry grass
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. race — humankind
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. race — a contest
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cell — a phone
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. 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