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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: bat · face · wave · racket · march · board · mine · dip

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — music
  6. board — to get on
  7. face — to point toward
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mine — for digging
  12. march — the month
  13. face — to confront
  14. bat — the animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. march — the month
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. face — part of the head
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. racket — a loud noise

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