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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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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: lash · cabinet · pitch · cue · nail · hide · drill · ruler

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. drill — the tool
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. drill — army training
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. drill — a practice
  24. cabinet — ministers

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