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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. kick — in football
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — to go on
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mark — a trace
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. chair — a leader
  11. last — finally
  12. wind — moving air
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. rock — a stone
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rock — music
  23. last — final
  24. racket — a loud noise

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