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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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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: stand · rush · pitcher · wound · lash · pitch · calf · degree

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. rush — hurry
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. stand — to bear
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — from a university
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. wound — an injury

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