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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: row · fall · fine · wave · racket · roll · patient · plane

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. roll — a cake
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fall — the season
  9. row — to paddle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. row — a line
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — a tool
  16. roll — a list
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. fall — to drop

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