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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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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. wound — an injury
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — a company
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — the sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. pit — in a race
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — a tin
  17. pit — a hole
  18. firm — decided
  19. firm — steady
  20. face — to confront
  21. can — a tin
  22. face — to point toward
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. face — part of the head

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