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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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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: spell · mate · nail · last · board · pitch · rush · lash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  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. pitch — a sports field
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a partner
  5. board — to get on
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. last — to go on
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. last — finally
  13. spell — a short time
  14. last — final
  15. board — a committee
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitch — completely
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. spell — magic
  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