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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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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 · squash · face · kid · lash · rash · key · nail

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rash — a series
  8. kid — child
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. squash — the sport
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. rash — hasty
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. kid — to tease
  19. squash — to crush
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. key — the most important part
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — part of the head
  24. key — for a lock

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