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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · snap · rush · lash · ball · shower · march · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. squash — to crush
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. shower — to wash
  6. march — music
  7. snap — to click
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitch — completely
  10. march — the month
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. shower — rain
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. ball — a great time
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. march — the month

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