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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 120 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: spring · pass · temple · wax · nail · wind · pitch · lash

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — the season
  4. wax — to grow
  5. spring — of water
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. wind — moving air
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wind — to turn a key

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