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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. present — the time now
  5. pit — in a race
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. branch — a division
  11. squash — the sport
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. snap — to click
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. present — there
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. land — ground
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pit — a hole
  24. safe — a strongbox

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