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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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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: bat · wave · racket · patient · wake · dip · cue · vault

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. cue — a signal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — the animal
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — for pool
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. vault — a safe
  24. cue — a hint

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