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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 120 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 · hand · suit · kid · wave · swing · stand · fall

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fall — to drop
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. hand — in cards
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fall — the season
  8. suit — clothes
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kid — child
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. hand — help
  20. suit — to fit
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — to play on
  24. racket — for tennis

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