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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: saw · pitcher · pit · wind · lash · rash · racket · bay

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. rash — hasty
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. rash — a series
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wind — moving air
  11. saw — the tool
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pit — a hole
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pitcher — a jug

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