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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: fall · kid · bound · lash · season · rest · racket · nail

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — tied together
  4. bound — certain
  5. fall — the season
  6. rest — a break
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bound — obliged
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. kid — child
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fall — to drop
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kid — to tease
  21. rest — what's left
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. fall — to drop

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