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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 116 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: lash · chair · bulb · snap · pitch · row · leaves · wax

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. row — to paddle
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — for light
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. snap — to click
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. lash — an eyelash

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