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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. drill — a practice
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. prune — to trim
  6. mark — a trace
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. land — to come down
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. land — a country
  13. snap — to click
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. drill — the tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mark — a grade
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. land — ground
  22. drill — army training
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — to pay attention

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