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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bank — for money
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pit — a hole
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bank — for money
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. snap — to click
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bark — to shout
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — of a river
  24. nail — for a hammer

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