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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wind — moving air
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. fine — high quality
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — to rip
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — all right

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