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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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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: present · wound · coach · kid · pitch · rest · charge · lash

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. charge — a price
  5. rest — a break
  6. pitch — completely
  7. wound — an injury
  8. present — a gift
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — electricity
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. present — the time now
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. present — there
  18. rest — what's left
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — to tease
  24. coach — a trainer

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