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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: staff · stand · lash · pit · track · wound · nail · date

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pit — a hole
  4. staff — employees
  5. wound — an injury
  6. track — a path
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. staff — a stick
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pit — in a race
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. stand — to bear
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. date — the fruit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. staff — employees

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