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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 120 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: pitcher · rock · safe · racket · trunk · rash · lie · march

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — the month
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. rock — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rash — a series
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — music
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — a stone
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lie — to recline

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