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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — a practice
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. drill — army training
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. drill — the tool
  23. scale — in music
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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