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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: pitch · cold · leaves · lash · tube · firm · object · bowl

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — a container
  4. object — a thing
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cold — not warm
  9. firm — a company
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. pitch — completely
  15. firm — decided
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. object — to protest
  20. tube — the underground
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. object — an aim
  23. cold — an illness
  24. firm — steady

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