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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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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: mark · fine · last · kid · net · chest · wave · tube

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. fine — all right
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mark — a grade
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. last — finally
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — high quality
  10. net — for catching
  11. tube — a container
  12. net — after costs
  13. chest — a box
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. last — to go on
  16. net — in sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. last — final
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chest — of your body

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