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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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Word bank
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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: present · pitch · lash · wake · press · firm

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. wake — a trail
  3. present — there
  4. firm — a company
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. firm — decided
  7. present — the time now
  8. press — a publisher
  9. firm — steady
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. present — a gift
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out

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