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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 · fall · field · lash · bay · bank · firm · pitch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. firm — steady
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bank — for money
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. field — farmland
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. fall — the season
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. field — a subject
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — for sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bank — of a river

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