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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: racket · lean · shower · last · rush · wake · pit · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — in a race
  4. saw — the tool
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. shower — to wash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. pit — a hole
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — finally
  23. shower — rain
  24. wake — a trail

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