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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. saw — the tool
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — a stone
  10. wax — to grow
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rock — music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fall — the season
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. saw — the tool
  24. fall — to drop

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