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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.

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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: wave · scale · racket · bank · kid · lash · face · mine

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. bank — for money
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. scale — in music
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. scale — size or range
  16. face — to confront
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. kid — child
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. wave — with your hand

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