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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. shower — rain
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a list
  18. roll — a cake
  19. branch — a division
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cabinet — ministers

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