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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wound — an injury
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. face — part of the head
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. face — to point toward
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. bore — to tire
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chair — a leader
  22. face — to confront
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — the sport

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