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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
468
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: content · pitcher · game · hand · sharp · coach · lash · lie

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lie — to recline
  7. game — wild animals
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. sharp — clever
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hand — help
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — a match
  17. hand — in cards
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. content — happy
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lash — to lash out
  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