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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 · kick · chest · pitcher · fall · rest · fine · swing

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fall — the season
  3. swing — to play on
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. fine — all right
  6. chest — of your body
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rest — what's left
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. chest — a box
  11. fall — to drop
  12. kick — in football
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rest — a break
  20. swing — in golf
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rest — what's left
  23. swing — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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