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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: present · lash · date · hide · sharp · pitch · drill · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. present — the time now
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. drill — army training
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. drill — the tool
  9. drill — a practice
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. present — there
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. present — a gift
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pitch — completely
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. date — the fruit
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. lash — to lash out

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