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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. bound — certain
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mate — a partner
  11. bound — obliged
  12. tear — from crying
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mate — to breed
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitch — completely
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bowl — a dish

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