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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · dip · race · prune · net · wake · face · nail

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wake — a trail
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. net — in sport
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. race — humankind
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. face — to point toward
  14. race — a contest
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — for catching
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. net — after costs
  22. dip — to sink
  23. face — to confront
  24. race — the arms race

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