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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: stand · arm · cabinet · stick · pitch · lash · object · mate

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mate — a friend
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — to bear
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pitch — completely
  22. object — an aim
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. object — to protest

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