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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — wild animals
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wake — a trail
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. game — a match
  24. lash — to lash out

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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