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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: kick · wound · pitch · row · lash · charge · drill · season

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. drill — army training
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitch — completely
  7. charge — in control
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. charge — a price
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. drill — a practice
  15. row — to paddle
  16. charge — electricity
  17. kick — in football
  18. season — in sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. drill — the tool
  24. wound — an injury

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