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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fall — to drop
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — the season
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. fall — to drop
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — magic
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. dip — to sink
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — letters
  24. lash — to lash out

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