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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitch · spell · roll · fine · tube · nail · snap · lash

  1. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. tube — the underground
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. fine — all right
  17. roll — a cake
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — a list
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. tube — a container
  22. spell — magic
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. nail — for a hammer

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