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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 124 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. suit — in cards
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. tear — to rip
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. key — the most important part
  15. suit — clothes
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. plane — a tool
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tear — from crying
  22. suit — to fit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. lash — to lash out

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