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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · season · mug · arm · wake · racket · lean · shower

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lean — thin
  3. mug — to rob
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mug — a cup
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. kick — in football
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. shower — rain
  19. mug — a face
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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