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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mug — a face
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. branch — a division
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — a law
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ground — a position
  18. rule — government
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mug — a cup

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