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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. pit — a hole
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. swing — in golf
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pit — in a race
  9. swing — to play on
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. staff — a stick
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. swing — music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. drill — a practice

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