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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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468
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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. key — in music
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. key — the most important part
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rest — a break
  16. key — for a lock
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bat — for baseball

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