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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. bass — the fish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. land — ground
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. plane — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. land — to come down
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — low music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. rush — to hurry

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