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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 116 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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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: wake · lash · can · kid · game · pitch · kick · chair

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kid — child
  7. pitch — completely
  8. can — to be able to
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. game — a match
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — a trail
  22. chair — a leader
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. chair — a professorship

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