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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: pitch · bay · hide · lash · snap · fork · chest · coach

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. chest — of your body
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitch — completely
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. snap — to click
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fork — in a road

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