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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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468
Word bank
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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rash — a series
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fall — to drop
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. present — a gift
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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