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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: scale · pitch · shower · lash · pass · current · file · lean

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. shower — to wash
  3. current — electric
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — to bend
  6. current — happening now
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. current — of water
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. shower — rain
  13. pitch — completely
  14. file — a document
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. file — a tool
  18. scale — in music
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. file — a line of people
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lean — thin
  24. scale — size or range

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