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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. field — for sport
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. shower — rain
  7. suit — in cards
  8. suit — to fit
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. field — farmland
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — to lash out

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