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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: arm · lash · foot · coach · fall · current · lie · pitcher

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. lie — to recline
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. foot — a measure
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fall — to drop
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fall — the season
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. current — of water
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. current — electric
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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