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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fine — high quality
  6. branch — a division
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. rock — music
  16. squash — to crush
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. spell — a short time
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. spell — magic
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. rock — a stone

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