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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: swing · racket · last · bay · ball · rash · lean · nail

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. last — final
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rash — a series
  5. swing — to play on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. swing — music
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. swing — in golf
  19. rash — hasty
  20. last — to go on
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lean — thin
  23. ball — a dance
  24. last — finally

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