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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: fall · rash · lean · nail · game · fine · pitcher · lash

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. game — a match
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. rash — hasty
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — the season
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. game — wild animals
  20. fine — high quality
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fine — all right
  24. lean — thin

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