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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. pit — in a race
  7. file — a line of people
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. file — a document
  10. drill — army training
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. file — a tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pit — a hole
  23. drill — the tool
  24. temple — a place of worship

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