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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 116 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: lash · deal · content · wind · drill · pitch · hand · plane

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pitch — completely
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. content — the amount
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. content — happy
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. wind — moving air
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. drill — army training
  21. hand — help
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. drill — the tool

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