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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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 — a meteor shower
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. wax — to grow
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — in football
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cabinet — ministers

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