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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. tear — from crying
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. kid — to tease
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — in music
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tear — to rip
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kid — child
  24. fan — to cool the air

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