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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.

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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: hide · pitch · kick · season · ruler · cold · lash · patient

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. cold — an illness
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cold — not warm
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. patient — a sick person

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