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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  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. spring — the season
  3. cap — a lid
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. swing — music
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cap — a hat
  8. bound — certain
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. season — of the year
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cap — of ice
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. spring — of water
  18. swing — to play on
  19. spring — a coil
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bound — obliged
  22. season — in sport
  23. bound — tied together
  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