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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 120 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: kick · wave · bank · racket · last · mouse · patient · game

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — wild animals
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a match
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bank — for money
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kick — in football
  15. bank — of a river
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. last — final
  23. bank — for money
  24. mouse — for a computer

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