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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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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: kick · racket · craft · rule · wave · saw · spring · wake

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spring — of water
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. saw — the tool
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. spring — a coil
  10. craft — boats
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. kick — in football
  16. wake — a trail
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spring — the season
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rule — a law
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rule — government
  24. saw — the tool

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