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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. key — in music
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. staff — employees
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. staff — a stick
  10. kick — in football
  11. staff — employees
  12. rash — a series
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. key — for a lock
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bat — the animal
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. key — the most important part

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