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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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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: pitch · race · sharp · hide · tear · press · mark · lash

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. mark — a grade
  3. pitch — completely
  4. tear — from crying
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mark — a trace
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. tear — to rip
  11. race — a contest
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. press — newspapers
  17. sharp — clever
  18. press — to push
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. race — humankind
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. race — the arms race
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. hide — to keep secret

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