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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.

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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: season · pitch · lash · rule · bay · track · wax · kick

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. track — a path
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — a law
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rule — government
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. track — a song
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. pitch — completely
  20. track — to keep track
  21. season — of the year
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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