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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 120 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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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: staff · lash · bear · march · coach · hide · bay · pitch

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. staff — employees
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. pitch — completely
  17. march — music
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bear — the animal
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. staff — employees

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