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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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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 · lie · race · wave · trunk · hide · wind · pound

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. race — a contest
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — humankind
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. pound — a weight
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. lie — to recline
  24. racket — a loud noise

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