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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. suit — clothes
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. branch — a division
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. dip — to sink
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. saw — the tool

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