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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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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: rush · pitch · coach · temple · wind · arm · bowl · lean

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. pitch — completely
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. lean — to bend
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rush — hurry
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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