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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: wave · pound · bay · bark · wind · rush · lie · racket

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — hurry
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pound — a weight
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. racket — a loud noise

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