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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: ground · rest · shower · temple · drill · pitch · mug · lash

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — a face
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — rain
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitch — completely
  13. shower — to wash
  14. drill — army training
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rest — a break
  17. ground — a position
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. drill — a practice
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mug — to rob
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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