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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.

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: wave · net · bat · pit · straw · wake · branch · object

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. object — to protest
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. wake — a trail
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. branch — a division
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pit — a hole
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. net — for catching
  22. bat — the animal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. branch — of a tree

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