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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: spell · chair · lash · racket · nail · lean · rule · hand

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. chair — a leader
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spell — magic
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — government
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rule — a law
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. hand — in cards
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. lean — to rest against

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