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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 116 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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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: staff · lash · wind · pitch · prune · stand · pound · drill

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. staff — employees
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — completely
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — a stick
  11. pound — a weight
  12. wind — moving air
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. stand — to bear
  21. prune — to trim
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. drill — the tool

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