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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. club — for golf
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. present — the time now
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — a gift
  8. hand — help
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. track — to keep track
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a song
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. club — a group
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — there
  21. track — a path
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hand — in cards

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