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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 · stick · pitcher · pass · temple · swing · pound · kick

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — music
  8. pound — a weight
  9. kick — in football
  10. swing — to play on
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. swing — in golf
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pass — a permit
  24. kick — with a leg

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