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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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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: lash · chair · safe · rush · deal · kid · rest · pitch

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rest — a break
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. kid — child
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. kid — to tease
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rest — what's left
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rush — hurry
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. deal — to handle
  24. deal — a big deal

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