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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. wound — an injury
  6. cell — in biology
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bore — to drill
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bore — to tire
  18. ball — a round shape

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