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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: suit · kid · fall · firm · rash · rock · lash · pitcher

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. suit — in cards
  4. kid — child
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. suit — to fit
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — clothes
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kid — to tease
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. firm — steady
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rock — music
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. fall — the season

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