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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · present · lash · arm · file · racket · calf · rush

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. file — a tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. file — a document
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. present — there
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rush — hurry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. present — a gift
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — the time now
  24. racket — a loud noise

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