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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 · bowl · perch · lie · lash · shower · band · coach

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — the fish
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. band — a music group
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. band — a ring
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pitch — completely
  24. shower — rain

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