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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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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 · squash · stick · fork · lash · bore

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bore — to drill
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — to crush
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bore — to tire
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fork — in a road

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