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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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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: racket · rest · snap · object · patient · mug · wave · date

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mug — a face
  5. mug — a cup
  6. object — to protest
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. object — an aim
  10. mug — to rob
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. object — a thing
  13. rest — what's left
  14. snap — to click
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — a break
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. date — the fruit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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