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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 · shower · lash · vault · kick · lie · wake · plane

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. plane — a tool
  5. pitch — completely
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. wake — a trail
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kick — in football
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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