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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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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: drill · wave · hand · racket · rest · chip · suit · prune

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. prune — to trim
  4. chip — to eat
  5. rest — a break
  6. hand — in cards
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. prune — to trim
  14. suit — to fit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. drill — the tool
  17. drill — army training
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. suit — clothes
  21. drill — a practice
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hand — help

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