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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. spell — a short time
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. object — a thing
  7. object — an aim
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. fork — in a road
  11. swing — in golf
  12. object — to protest
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spell — magic
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. hand — help
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spell — letters

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