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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: saw · wave · nail · racket · wind · rest · bat · track

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wind — moving air
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. track — a song
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — the tool
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rest — what's left
  24. saw — the tool

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