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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 120 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: wave · tube · bat · leaves · wake · swing · stick · board

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. tube — the underground
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. tube — a container
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. swing — music
  21. board — a committee
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. board — to get on

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