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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stand — to bear
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. rock — a stone
  20. season — in sport
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. season — of the year
  23. tube — a container
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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