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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · stick · rule · lash · fall · bowl

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. 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. lash — an eyelash
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rule — a law
  5. fall — to drop
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fall — the season
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. rule — government
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fall — to drop
  18. 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