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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: kid · lash · racket · bat · rash · rush · deal · rest

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rash — hasty
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rash — a series
  6. bat — the animal
  7. kid — child
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. rest — what's left
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kid — to tease
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rush — hurry
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lash — to lash out

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