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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.

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: current · pitcher · mine · lash · pitch · rest · chest · saw

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. mine — for digging
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. saw — the tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chest — a box
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. current — of water
  16. rest — a break
  17. current — happening now
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — electric
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rest — what's left

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