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

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bass — low music
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. drill — the tool
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. drill — a practice
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. drill — army training
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lean — thin
  21. mate — a friend
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. racket — for tennis

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