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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 116 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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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: dip · lash · land · kick · net · racket · pass · stick

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. pass — a permit
  3. kick — in football
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. land — to come down
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. net — for catching
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. net — in sport
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — a country
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. net — after costs
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. land — ground

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