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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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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: lash · squash · pitch · stem · lean · safe · court · stick

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stem — to come from
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. lean — thin
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pitch — completely
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. court — of a king
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — a sports field

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