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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: staff · shower · ball · branch · pitch · bore · row · lash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. ball — a great time
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bore — to drill
  7. staff — a stick
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. shower — rain
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. staff — employees
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. bore — to tire
  19. branch — a division
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pitch — completely

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