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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · key · lean · bat · season · wake · racket · race

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. race — humankind
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — the animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. key — in music
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. lean — to bend
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. key — the most important part
  12. season — of the year
  13. spell — letters
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — a short time
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lean — thin
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. season — in sport

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