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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: lash · sharp · pass · rule · kick · drill · march · date

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. march — music
  4. rule — government
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pass — a permit
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. rule — a law
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — in football
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. sharp — clever
  16. drill — army training
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. march — the month
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. date — the fruit

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