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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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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 · hide · press · snap · object · bat · lash · date

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. snap — to click
  7. press — newspapers
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. press — a publisher
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. press — to push
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. date — the fruit
  15. object — an aim
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. object — to protest
  23. bat — the animal
  24. lash — an eyelash

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