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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. race — humankind
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — to bear
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fall — the season
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. race — a contest
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ball — a dance

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