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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: fall · date · lean · spring · bound · nail · pass · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spring — of water
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — the season
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pitch — completely
  16. fall — to drop
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. date — the fruit
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. fall — the season
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. lean — thin

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