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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rock — a stone
  4. date — the fruit
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. kick — in football
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mine — for digging
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. straw — a straw man
  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