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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.

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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: bowl · hand · temple · stand · lash · pitch · rush · mug

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — a face
  3. hand — in cards
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — a cup
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. rush — hurry
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — help
  14. mug — to rob
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. bowl — a dish

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