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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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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 · hand · dip · ball · spring · straw · charge · calf

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. spring — the season
  3. hand — help
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. charge — a price
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. dip — to sink
  13. ball — a dance
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hand — in cards
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. charge — electricity
  20. spring — of water
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. charge — in control
  23. spring — a coil
  24. ball — a great time

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