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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: bass · staff · lash · sharp · perch · race · pitch · lie

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. sharp — clever
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. perch — the fish
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. pitch — completely
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. race — humankind
  22. staff — employees
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the fish

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