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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. ball — a great time
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — in golf
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. lie — to recline
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — to play on
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. swing — music
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — to come from
  23. ball — a round shape
  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