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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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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: saw · pitcher · lie · court · current · hide · chest · lash

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chest — of your body
  7. court — for sport
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. chest — of your body
  17. court — of a king
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of law
  24. chest — a box

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