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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 120 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: arm · lash · object · wave · racket · hide · pitch · board

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. object — a thing
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. board — to get on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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