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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — a stick
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lie — to recline
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. court — for sport
  21. foot — a measure
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — of a king
  24. branch — of a bank

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