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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: rash · ground · shower · lash · safe · rest · pitch · bear

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. shower — rain
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — crushed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. shower — to wash
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. rash — a series
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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