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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: lie · mate · kick · pitch · lash · leaves · plane · shower

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. shower — rain
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. mate — to breed
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. mate — a friend
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. shower — to wash
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. plane — a tool
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mate — a partner
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kick — in football
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lash — an eyelash

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