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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tear — from crying
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. stock — shares
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. key — in music
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. key — for a lock
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. tear — to rip
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. tear — from crying
  21. stock — goods
  22. branch — a division
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. stock — a soup base

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