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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. track — a song
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pitch — completely
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. track — a path
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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