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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. last — final
  6. fine — high quality
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mug — a face
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. last — finally
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — to rob
  19. last — to go on
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. clip — a video
  22. clip — to cut
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. clip — for paper

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