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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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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: drill · pitch · calf · wax · pass · mark · lash · mate

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. mate — a partner
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. mate — to breed
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mark — a grade
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. pitch — completely
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — army training
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pass — a permit
  21. mark — a trace
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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