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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: pitch · coach · lie · arm · capital · lash · nail · straw

  1. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. capital — a city
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lie — to recline
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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