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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · lie · lash · face · hand · row · rock · pitch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. march — the month
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. row — to paddle
  6. march — the month
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. row — a line
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. face — to point toward
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. rock — music
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. march — music
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hand — in cards
  19. pitch — completely
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — to confront
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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