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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stand — to bear
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. snap — to click
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. file — a line of people
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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