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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.

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: wound · file · pitcher · bass · mine · lash · stand · rest

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. bass — the fish
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stand — to bear
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. wound — an injury
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. file — a tool
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bass — low music
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. rest — a break
  22. file — a document
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mine — for digging

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