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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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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: rash · racket · mug · fan · rest · wave · sharp · bore

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. rest — what's left
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rash — a series
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. mug — a face
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. bore — to tire
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — hasty
  23. rest — a break
  24. bore — to drill

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