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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: mark · plane · tear · wave · chest · object · cabinet · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — an aim
  4. mark — a grade
  5. object — to protest
  6. plane — a tool
  7. object — a thing
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — to rip
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. chest — of your body
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. cabinet — ministers

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