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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.

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: lash · fall · wind · net · face · coach · bulb · pitcher

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. fall — the season
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. net — in sport
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. face — to confront
  9. bulb — for light
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. net — after costs
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fall — to drop
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — to point toward
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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