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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: ball · racket · rock · dip · march · drill · lash · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rock — a stone
  4. drill — army training
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. drill — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a great time
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. tear — to rip
  20. march — the month
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. rock — music

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