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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: land · nail · pitch · pass · lash · drill · mate · hide

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pass — a permit
  3. mate — a friend
  4. land — ground
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — a practice
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. drill — army training
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mate — a partner
  18. land — to come down
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. land — a country
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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