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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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — in golf
  7. shower — rain
  8. pit — in a race
  9. hand — in cards
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. suit — in cards
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stand — to bear
  22. swing — music
  23. hand — help
  24. pit — a hole

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