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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: present · fall · bank · snap · lash · pitch · can · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. snap — to click
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bank — for money
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. present — there
  11. bank — of a river
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bank — for money
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. can — a tin
  18. fall — the season
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. present — a gift
  23. pitch — completely
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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