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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: wound · racket · press · bark · pit · leaves · kick · wave

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. wound — an injury
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. press — a publisher
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bark — to shout
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. press — to push
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. racket — a loud noise

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