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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — a group
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — tied together
  6. club — for golf
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bound — certain
  18. pit — a hole
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bat — the animal

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