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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: stem · racket · kick · sharp · bulb · ball · rash · rest

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bulb — for light
  8. kick — in football
  9. stem — to come from
  10. rash — a series
  11. rest — what's left
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rest — a break
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. rest — what's left

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