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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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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: roll · lash · fall · chair · racket · face · bay · saw

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chair — a leader
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. roll — a cake
  13. face — to confront
  14. face — to point toward
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a list
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. face — part of the head
  23. fall — the season
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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