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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: hand · hide · lash · fan · kick · bass · pitcher · rock

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — in cards
  3. rock — a stone
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bass — the fish
  14. kick — in football
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. bass — low music
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. hand — help

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