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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 120 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 · rock · swing · lie · leaves · rash · ball · wind

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wind — moving air
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wind — moving air
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. swing — in golf
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. rash — hasty
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. swing — music
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rock — a stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. ball — a round shape

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