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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. march — the month
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. land — a country
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. march — the month
  14. land — ground
  15. tube — the underground
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. march — music
  21. tube — a container
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. land — to come down
  24. leaves — to go away

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