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

Word bank: deal · cold · pitch · lash · bank · present · nail · hand

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. hand — in cards
  3. present — a gift
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. present — the time now
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bank — of a river
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. deal — to handle
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. hand — help
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. cold — not warm
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. present — there

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