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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stem — to come from
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — a subject
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. rash — hasty
  15. field — for sport
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — certain
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — farmland
  23. rash — a series
  24. face — to confront

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