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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pop — to visit
  8. branch — a division
  9. charge — electricity
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. pop — soda
  19. key — the most important part
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. hand — help
  22. key — for a lock
  23. hand — in cards
  24. pop — music

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