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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: lash · wax · racket · fork · hide · rest · clip · bowl

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fork — in a road
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. clip — to cut
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. clip — a video
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rest — what's left
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rest — a break
  24. racket — for tennis

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