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

Word bank: racket · hide · mate · lash · tear · rest

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rest — what's left
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mate — a partner
  14. tear — from crying
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip

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