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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: can · rush · hand · racket · wake · lash · root · capital

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. can — to be able to
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. root — of a plant
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. hand — help
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. root — the cause
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — money
  15. hand — in cards
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rush — hurry
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. root — of a word
  23. wake — a trail
  24. racket — a loud noise

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