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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: roll · hide · mouse · bat · ground · wake · stand · wave

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. roll — a list
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. roll — a cake
  18. ground — crushed
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — a trail
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stand — to bear

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