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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: net · wave · mate · season · mark · straw · cabinet · racket

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mate — a partner
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. net — for catching
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. season — in sport
  15. mark — a grade
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. net — in sport
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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