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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. sharp — clever
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mug — a cup
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. mug — to rob
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. mug — a face
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. snap — to click
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rash — a series
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. rash — hasty
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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