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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: hide · nail · net · sharp · charge · lash · pit · drill

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — the tool
  3. charge — in control
  4. sharp — clever
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. drill — army training
  9. net — in sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. charge — electricity
  13. net — after costs
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. charge — a price
  24. pit — in a race

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