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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: cabinet · spell · wound · pitch · stand · hand · ball · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. ball — a dance
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — letters
  5. hand — help
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ball — a great time
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. spell — magic
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pitch — completely
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — to bear
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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