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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: rush · wave · stick · cap · pass · racket · chest · bore

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. chest — of your body
  15. pass — a permit
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. chest — a box
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rush — to hurry

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