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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · pitch · plane · rock · mark · charge · nail · lash

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rock — music
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — not warm
  12. plane — a tool
  13. cold — an illness
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rock — a stone
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — in control
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitch — completely
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. plane — an aircraft

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