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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.

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: tube · shower · lash · bore · pitch · vault · rash · sharp

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. tube — a container
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — to drill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. shower — rain
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. rash — hasty
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bore — to tire
  19. tube — the underground
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. rash — a series
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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