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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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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: saw · face · swing · lash · kid · pitch · pound · snap

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — child
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. swing — music
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kid — to tease
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. face — to point toward
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. swing — to play on
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. swing — in golf
  21. snap — to click
  22. face — part of the head
  23. pitch — completely
  24. face — to confront

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