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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: game · mug · safe · cold · pitch · key · lean · lash

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mug — a face
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. key — in music
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. lean — thin
  8. key — the most important part
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mug — to rob
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mug — a cup
  16. game — a match
  17. cold — not warm
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. cold — an illness
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — to rest against

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