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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: wake · cell · wave · hide · rest · wound · racket · bore

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wake — a trail
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. rest — a break
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — gave birth

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