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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: rush · cap · chair · pitch · chest · lash · wave · bank

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. cap — of ice
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — a hat
  5. chest — a box
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. chest — of your body
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bank — for money
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. rush — hurry
  23. chest — of your body
  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