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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 · racket · dip · bulb · hand · lash · rash · chair

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — to sink
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rash — hasty
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. hand — in cards
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — in football

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