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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 120 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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 — to lash out
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. suit — to fit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. suit — in cards
  10. staff — employees
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rock — a stone
  13. clip — a video
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. clip — for paper
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. suit — clothes
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. staff — employees

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