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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: cell · swing · cold · lash · pitch · bay

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  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. swing — music
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pitch — completely
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cell — a phone
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. cell — in a prison
  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