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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wound — an injury
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pit — in a race
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. season — in sport
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. season — of the year
  21. fork — in a road
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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