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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: drill · swing · rush · content · racket · wound · wave · mate

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wound — an injury
  5. content — the amount
  6. wound — an injury
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mate — a partner
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. swing — music
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mate — to breed
  17. content — happy
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. swing — in golf
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rush — hurry

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