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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 120 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
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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: march · pitch · wake · foot · lie · lash · sharp · clip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — clever
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. march — the month
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. march — the month
  16. pitch — completely
  17. clip — for paper
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. clip — a video
  20. wake — a trail
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. foot — a measure

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