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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 116 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: key · tear · pitcher · kick · band · saw · lash · suit

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tear — from crying
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. saw — the tool
  7. key — the most important part
  8. band — a music group
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. tear — to rip
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. tear — from crying
  19. key — for a lock
  20. saw — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. key — in music
  23. kick — in football
  24. lash — to lash out

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