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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 · stand · bat · kick · bank · file · pitcher · deal

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. bank — for money
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. file — a document
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bank — for money
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kick — in football

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