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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cell — a phone
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — in sport
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. net — for catching
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to click
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. cell — in biology
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. season — to add flavour

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