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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 120 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
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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: board · spell · fall · prune · pitch · bass · lash · hand

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. hand — help
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. fall — the season
  12. bass — low music
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bass — the fish
  15. spell — letters
  16. pitch — completely
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hand — in cards
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — magic
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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