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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · mouse · rash · lash · coach · land · pitch · shower

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitch — completely
  11. land — a country
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — to wash
  19. land — to come down
  20. rash — a series
  21. shower — rain
  22. land — ground
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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