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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. land — to come down
  10. clip — a video
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rule — government
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — a country
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rule — a law
  22. land — ground
  23. clip — for paper
  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