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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: bay · racket · present · kick · lash · cap · plane · tear

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. cap — of ice
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. present — there
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. cap — a lid
  14. kick — in football
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tear — from crying
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cap — a hat
  22. present — the time now
  23. plane — a tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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