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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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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: pitch · drill · lash · chest · saw · ruler · face · bulb

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. face — part of the head
  9. drill — a practice
  10. chest — a box
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. face — to point toward
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bulb — for light
  18. saw — the tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. face — to confront
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. drill — army training

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