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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 120 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a document
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. file — a line of people
  10. present — there
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — the time now
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. present — a gift
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. file — a tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. tube — a container
  24. tube — the underground

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