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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — in sport
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — electricity
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. charge — in control
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. kick — in football
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. shower — rain
  24. rush — hurry

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