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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 116 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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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: mouse · wind · tube · wave · staff · season · saw · racket

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. staff — a stick
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. staff — employees
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tube — a container
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. season — of the year
  16. saw — the tool
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wind — moving air
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. season — in sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. tube — the underground

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