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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 · chest · leaves · chair · nail · wave · lash · squash

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chest — a box

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