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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 116 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 found your soul ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pit — in a race
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. mate — to breed
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. mug — to rob
  8. swing — to play on
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mate — a friend
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mug — a face
  16. pit — a hole
  17. swing — music
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. swing — in golf
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. dip — to sink
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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