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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: pitch · patient · fall · mug · ruler · coach · lash · face

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pitch — completely
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mug — a face
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. face — to confront
  10. mug — to rob
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. fall — to drop
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. face — to point toward
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. fall — the season

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