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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: dip · lash · hide · fall · spell · tube · kick · pitch

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. fall — to drop
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. fall — to drop
  8. pitch — completely
  9. tube — the underground
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — a container
  15. fall — the season
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. spell — magic
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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