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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: lie · lash · fan · degree · bay · pitch · squash · wake

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. lie — to recline
  3. squash — the sport
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. squash — to crush
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. degree — an amount
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fan — a supporter

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