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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — a stone
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — music
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stem — to come from
  21. lie — to recline
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — moving air

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