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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: pitch · nail · chair · charge · degree · cabinet · rash · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. rash — a series
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. charge — a price
  6. charge — electricity
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — an amount
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — temperature
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rash — hasty
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. charge — in control
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. nail — on a finger

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