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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: can · staff · cell · deal · march · lash · pitcher · drill

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. drill — a practice
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. march — music
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — employees
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. march — the month
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. drill — the tool
  17. cell — in biology
  18. can — to be able to
  19. staff — a stick
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. drill — army training
  22. deal — to handle
  23. march — the month
  24. lash — an eyelash

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