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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: cold · wave · craft · racket · kick · ruler · wake · object

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. object — a thing
  4. craft — boats
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. object — an aim
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wake — a trail
  15. object — to protest
  16. kick — in football
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. craft — a skill

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