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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: fall · rock · present · tube · saw · pitch · coach · lash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rock — a stone
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rock — music
  16. saw — the tool
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. present — there
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. present — the time now

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