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

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. fall — to drop
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. season — of the year
  7. fall — the season
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitch — completely
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — size or range
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. season — in sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. scale — in music
  20. lean — thin
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lean — to bend
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. lean — to rest against

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