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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: racket · lean · wave · snap · mark · row · fan · drill

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — to bend
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — a practice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. row — a line
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — a grade
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lean — thin
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. drill — army training
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wave — with your hand

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