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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: hand · rash · racket · deal · swing · bay · fall · tear

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. hand — in cards
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rash — hasty
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — the season
  8. tear — from crying
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. tear — from crying
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rash — a series
  18. deal — to handle
  19. tear — to rip
  20. swing — in golf
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. swing — music
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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