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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to bend
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — the most important part
  12. club — for dancing
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — in music
  24. ball — a round shape

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