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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.

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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. rest — what's left
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. object — an aim
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — a break
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — low music
  12. rest — what's left
  13. lie — to recline
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bore — to tire
  16. object — to protest
  17. bass — the fish
  18. snap — to click
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. object — a thing
  23. bore — to drill
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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