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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the sport
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. squash — to crush
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. hand — in cards
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. kick — in football

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