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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 116 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 · land · pass · drill · present · wind · nail · pit

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. land — to come down
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. staff — employees
  8. pass — a permit
  9. staff — a stick
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. drill — army training
  12. land — ground
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. land — a country
  18. present — there
  19. drill — a practice
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. wind — moving air
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. staff — employees
  24. present — a gift

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