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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. hand — help
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mine — for digging
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — the sport
  11. key — for a lock
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. squash — to crush
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. key — in music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. can — to be able to
  18. key — the most important part
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — an explosive

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