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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: stand · mouse · wave · rash · net · tube · bore · swing

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — to drill
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. swing — in golf
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. net — after costs
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rash — a series
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — music
  22. stand — to bear
  23. tube — the underground
  24. bore — to tire

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