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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cold — not warm
  8. dip — to sink
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — for money
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. drill — the tool
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cold — an illness
  21. drill — army training
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bank — for money
  24. pit — in a race

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