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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · wave · saw · hide · racket · trunk · rock · rule

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. rock — music
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rule — government
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rule — a law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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