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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
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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: roll · coach · pitch · rush · key · wave · lash · bat

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. roll — a list
  3. key — in music
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rush — hurry
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bat — for baseball

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