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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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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 · stick · toast · nail · staff · pitch · patient · wound

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. wound — an injury
  12. staff — a stick
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. toast — bread
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. patient — a sick person

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