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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 120 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: racket · tube · clip · pit · hide · last · bass · lash

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bass — low music
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bass — the fish
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. clip — a video
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. clip — to cut
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — final
  16. tube — a container
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. clip — for paper
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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