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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · lash · date · pitch · lean · kick · can · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. date — the fruit
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cold — not warm
  11. lean — to bend
  12. suit — to fit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cold — an illness

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