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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: last · toast · pitch · band · lash · hand · fan · nail

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. last — finally
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — help
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. toast — bread
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. last — final
  19. band — a music group
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. hand — in cards
  24. last — to go on

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