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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. face — part of the head
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. rock — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. face — to confront
  19. rock — a stone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. scale — size or range
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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