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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: last · bore · lash · coach · pitch · chest · mark · hand

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. last — finally
  5. chest — of your body
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. hand — in cards
  12. last — final
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chest — a box
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. chest — of your body

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