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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kid — child
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bass — low music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rest — a break
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. last — to go on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bass — the fish

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