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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: wave · racket · prune · sharp · dip · chest · net · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — of your body
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. prune — to trim
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. net — after costs
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — in sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. chest — a box
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. net — for catching
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. dip — to sink
  24. suit — in cards

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