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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  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. suit — clothes
  2. suit — to fit
  3. spring — the season
  4. craft — boats
  5. race — a contest
  6. mug — a cup
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mug — to rob
  10. suit — in cards
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mine — for digging
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mug — a face
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. race — humankind
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. craft — a skill
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — of water
  23. lash — to lash out
  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