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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 · mark · chest · lash · swing · mate · firm · shower

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mate — a friend
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a grade
  6. chest — of your body
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. chest — a box
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a partner
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — to play on
  21. chest — of your body
  22. mark — a trace
  23. shower — rain
  24. firm — a company

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