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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: chest · face · racket · saw · spell · rush · dip · stick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. chest — of your body
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chest — a box
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. face — part of the head
  8. dip — to sink
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. saw — the tool
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. spell — magic
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to confront
  24. saw — the tool

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