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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 · leaves · net · wave · wake · toast · tear · board

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. tear — from crying
  7. toast — bread
  8. tear — to rip
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. net — in sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — after costs
  24. board — a committee

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