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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 116 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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lean — to bend
  7. spell — magic
  8. lean — thin
  9. present — there
  10. rest — a break
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. present — a gift
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — letters
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — a big deal

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