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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lash · row · wake · kick · mouse · drill · lean · pitcher

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — the tool
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. lean — thin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. kick — in football
  16. row — a line
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. wake — a trail
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — army training
  22. row — to paddle
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lash — to lash out

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