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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: object · bat · tear · season · nail · lash · pitcher · saw

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. object — an aim
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. saw — the tool
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bat — the animal
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. tear — from crying
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. tear — to rip
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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