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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · saw · chair · wake · racket · hide · mouse · pass

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chair — a leader
  8. saw — the tool
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. ball — a great time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chair — to sit on

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