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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 · game · arm · snap · row · rock · wake · saw

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. snap — to click
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — to paddle
  18. game — a match
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rock — music
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. row — a line

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