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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hand — help
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bass — low music
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. dip — to sink
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stand — to bear
  18. lean — to bend
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bass — the fish
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. lean — thin
  24. bass — the instrument

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