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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: rash · lash · bank · pitch · fan · chair · roll · fall

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. roll — a cake
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rash — hasty
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chair — a leader
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. rash — a series
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. roll — a list
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bank — for money
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bank — for money
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. fall — the season

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