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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — to trim
  10. wound — an injury
  11. key — in music
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. rest — a break
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — animal skin

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