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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 · spell · hand · rush · arm · present · face · lash

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. hand — in cards
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spell — magic
  8. present — a gift
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. present — the time now
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spell — letters
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. hand — help
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. face — to confront
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — a short time
  24. present — there

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