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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: pit · land · can · lash · march · stand · fall · nail

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pit — in a race
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. can — a tin
  6. land — a country
  7. fall — to drop
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. can — a tin
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. fall — the season
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. march — music
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stand — to bear
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. land — to come down
  24. can — to be able to

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