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

Word bank: pitch · band · lash · temple · rest · chair

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. band — a ring
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rest — a break
  17. band — a music group
  18. lash — a whip stroke

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