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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · spell · rest · lie · lash · pitcher · tear · game

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tear — to rip
  14. rest — a break
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spell — letters
  17. game — wild animals
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. spell — magic
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rest — what's left

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