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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: racket · squash · lash · straw · wave · ball · fork · cabinet

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. squash — the sport
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a dance
  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