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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: staff · rule · lash · pitch · fan · swing · drill · row

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rule — government
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. row — to paddle
  8. pitch — completely
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. staff — employees
  13. swing — in golf
  14. drill — the tool
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. swing — to play on
  20. row — a line
  21. drill — a practice
  22. drill — army training
  23. swing — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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